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 5557993 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 26171765 epoch_slot_no: 78965 block_no: 5557816 slot_leader_id: 5087787 size: 9596 time: 2021-04-06 19:40:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x04b84fad0bf473cb3315358860e11ff29cad215720e1111f597f98d169f6a881Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15wjuugwl5qgpahp9edc7z9dartl3kfc72a6tdj6ecv7scnj6p73str2kg9 op_cert: \xc2b9e41cd89e6cf697b3e36ef611df2114703dea7570f583292e561642a10851 op_cert_counter: 3