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 5558406 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 26180410 epoch_slot_no: 87610 block_no: 5558229 slot_leader_id: 5449505 size: 58595 time: 2021-04-06 22:05:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x31c3f79a6a88a8b274f7e33088d595f6fc82806294970e86cc254d36228caa0cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ezhtnhetkgm53jx7wc08esufyfp75cvk34cul20uhkg4ph6knuys9qay6z op_cert: \x816f54e69044d0d2bf8d111fbf48cfdc76893f82d18d91f098db47eb40bebc6d op_cert_counter: 1