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 5550497 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 26016524 epoch_slot_no: 355724 block_no: 5550320 slot_leader_id: 5152047 size: 5098 time: 2021-04-05 00:33:35 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9d6182e3dfbd0faa0634ca006dd3c41010a5d860331dc1ac52d917eea2a1f2aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v9u4t3t7h6vxxa3qkf5vgcz52ts2gqmdp0fvds0uhtknq4390x2qp6aas9 op_cert: \xdc7608b79ea5b21ad058fd4397a74bc3fa465aa86e16005d7e1b4af405d8e134 op_cert_counter: 4