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 5558342 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 26179166 epoch_slot_no: 86366 block_no: 5558165 slot_leader_id: 5066106 size: 6977 time: 2021-04-06 21:44:17 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xba8afdd3f0414b5b6f7e7abb8c9442ac0b2fab244a109eb9eead75e33c9ca915Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1elldtg3lxzsc8e45vcuvkyek69jfv0ncy8xzpdvdls7c4ssp4lzskmm5vx op_cert: \x9488acd0243396954d2505a7a9145bc1563f06186779beb4b16f4b625f21106f op_cert_counter: 8