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 5562296 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 26261895 epoch_slot_no: 169095 block_no: 5562119 slot_leader_id: 4561122 size: 3978 time: 2021-04-07 20:43:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8b3bcc31164ce66a885693660085303bdc807baa852bc931906bc4cda3ac308aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16v34trhgsmwpp8st57htgt952f8wv6duy0w0nlcrksfkmzhljprshp0q6d op_cert: \x4399333bcca9ebfb215f93f0d84522c6c39c80dc6b8807db486d952732187c92 op_cert_counter: 3