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 5550771 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 26021991 epoch_slot_no: 361191 block_no: 5550594 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 12275 time: 2021-04-05 02:04:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1d278dda821789aaa0b905e0bfe3a01855dd6a77fee1697819338d6817f5689fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x95c9e44ea81aeb1479fa96585b442150db8babf907cfab6c1b53fc7e67918572 op_cert_counter: 3