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 5550197 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 26010314 epoch_slot_no: 349514 block_no: 5550020 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 3803 time: 2021-04-04 22:50:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x973c992d9507ed365e38d30519302948142805f8c99a70df3a08efe2b29fcbecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x0897bcf3cf6556891f9c9d0f586edb855a6c2a47138910fbdc849ed74af3a6c4 op_cert_counter: 3