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 5557661 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 26164682 epoch_slot_no: 71882 block_no: 5557484 slot_leader_id: 4568166 size: 2395 time: 2021-04-06 17:42:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40d977852303b01f865d21044ff9281bc0812b82ce80cc62c2b2fdaa0900decfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x23fpnnfh69ps2hvyszr7rd478s5gjkx7lh0epv7rdutuurtlr9q08qzt3 op_cert: \x961bb59398bd7ce0da7045b2d1363f6ad28a95a0eeac5e71289009520d5bd956 op_cert_counter: 4