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 5558418 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 26180664 epoch_slot_no: 87864 block_no: 5558241 slot_leader_id: 5333427 size: 2991 time: 2021-04-06 22:09:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x38225a71a7ec4fb16ba0fbf543d63356f020bab4eb5d9826ebcd2df9c37a9c4aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk108fhz5azzg3av3f02tu972k0kdsuvxwetmpx5rqplsu5tg8yygjqguhkjg op_cert: \xfb8951ae963a1e7c0dfc545d99f2ae066403f177d7bcba0f44e32bdd1811a1d8 op_cert_counter: 1