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 5555217 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 26115492 epoch_slot_no: 22692 block_no: 5555040 slot_leader_id: 5108090 size: 2859 time: 2021-04-06 04:03:03 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0209c3aa3d4c499d1d8b92642dcf902367f3a628752d65a0c160fbcc5dded338Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16n3u8f24m45ru3mtupqkzwcwmk4g7k7v654gddpz5ex0ldwtlu5sx4s29v op_cert: \xf79525ae408f1bf74139939cf6905d3ebe32d4b29b2b184b9ed6872cd9d0bee1 op_cert_counter: 2