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 5557717 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 26165916 epoch_slot_no: 73116 block_no: 5557540 slot_leader_id: 5087965 size: 61463 time: 2021-04-06 18:03:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa458d39e9af15f243c312839a99575b8fcb5930cb1471a17e7c6c074bb984003Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zplxgxams3dcm6wyzjyk32f4sfv30c3pah74zvk5t667tdp6vn8s3gcdyp op_cert: \xff591d7fffcba3b3d1168bd5928bf37022b284301ddcfd32b67a1a9f66220902 op_cert_counter: 1