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 5552638 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 26061212 epoch_slot_no: 400412 block_no: 5552461 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 961 time: 2021-04-05 12:58:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x419041227245c263a150e4a9deb93c94061ded00d7d2817b76a12c4e03b0b292Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x48b5fc9aa5bc4dcc22322e51d65a03d37e95afd6cb6d397ca8a6b97b37f08b84 op_cert_counter: 5