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 5558497 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 26182471 epoch_slot_no: 89671 block_no: 5558320 slot_leader_id: 4556341 size: 4872 time: 2021-04-06 22:39:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb9bb5eb00670ad125c5e5d01d8f8f2132778ffbbfc150b6449970e0cb54220e2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15lk075tpe6zurkvstvsghw9yytu2m5q4pffe7amhex3gtfkuqwyqhvutmv op_cert: \xcb5cbc62ce66aa1f3a4c8f8aa4c253c595497e8d20644e79594267c4c56d9186 op_cert_counter: 4