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 5557171 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 26154174 epoch_slot_no: 61374 block_no: 5556994 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 16289 time: 2021-04-06 14:47:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7073b610bcfc3c5c731aa150744fd54d2a58f6313ce9209acca841eede40daf9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x95c9e44ea81aeb1479fa96585b442150db8babf907cfab6c1b53fc7e67918572 op_cert_counter: 3