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 5550101 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 173 slot_no: 26007958 epoch_slot_no: 347158 block_no: 5549924 slot_leader_id: 4773451 size: 63460 time: 2021-04-04 22:10:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x652efed39cd1397657bd4e2c1b43a75b6f1f9967be090f6a66fbf3efde8edfd6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v906pdj4kf7drq0hd0l960wn8kkf4339wsvr28e2g22lag3q2mrsr49yfx op_cert: \x77b86a765846f4e13c62142ca48d5901a13e85b85b2163355c062010ae2a134d op_cert_counter: 1