A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 5550049 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 26006708 epoch_slot_no: 345908 block_no: 5549872 slot_leader_id: 4614591 size: 6509 time: 2021-04-04 21:49:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1b4fc77e3e5873e7a88b1e6abcae36c1e0cd14f5e97e2453562d2e1f0aa1d1beBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lnjfdgme34cun04rzmng683dq8u37wpu20ygrc0vz2fkun7jjmrsdaa3dx op_cert: \x550934bcf72090d6b1a14b63c7d317c054e05a30a0b538dd8e124c4d1280d4d7 op_cert_counter: 10