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 5562481 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 26266320 epoch_slot_no: 173520 block_no: 5562304 slot_leader_id: 4577284 size: 12974 time: 2021-04-07 21:56:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdd6e566a1a90681d551a0c15b343f56c942b7e754df3c67e0bc2af6f937d5de1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fry5jp72cm57asmqp5hv9rsk2twlnxfx5mlqmc2thlp22f4ma2zs4gz2f4 op_cert: \xd0c4c82b3ac1a487c24dc318dbea2e53672eed3d54a70a5a8ee46c8a758f6e92 op_cert_counter: 32