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 5558430 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 26180986 epoch_slot_no: 88186 block_no: 5558253 slot_leader_id: 5155461 size: 9603 time: 2021-04-06 22:14:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x17df4403a0c57a2dc50e6f6c058fa9e3919b3b5b45d98762fc7aa0e986e5d8a7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12y0w5lf2um7jnaamxezagrndnqa4zylp6r9edhturnkydah9v0js47h9v8 op_cert: \x0b7315f07c3b77d76d215271632a433a70ea246957e36ddb54da5e00e57d7b85 op_cert_counter: 5