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 5552497 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 26 slot_no: 26058210 epoch_slot_no: 397410 block_no: 5552320 slot_leader_id: 4558666 size: 16074 time: 2021-04-05 12:08:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x958c6ecbb346fa1a269f4550c3370887cd1414e58cc459e16d0385a28f9a4199Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s3hssxtpjdjc9amqn9wqn6dfyzujsv8jrk6pkl4esfpp99v48ujsflsn70 op_cert: \xe70bbb17a2505c1de6a8660829c6f7cb10c8d02b17841963e66406b6f96b2594 op_cert_counter: 4