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 5550159 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 40 slot_no: 26009394 epoch_slot_no: 348594 block_no: 5549982 slot_leader_id: 4593486 size: 13250 time: 2021-04-04 22:34:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x78a1cdd5a381c0e7fe0e23b25cbf861a47bc3f6a58040c8454b71cff1db9a942Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14md6rl6nkscz0p6cgsskqkfpnvvnnzmm2hwtfuks28esus68h9hs826jk7 op_cert: \xef6c28e134e91c5c9a690725d6245c8933e5461d16ec89733041d60b912a272d op_cert_counter: 3