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 5566514 Details
Epoch: 258 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 26349613 epoch_slot_no: 256813 block_no: 5566337 slot_leader_id: 4555865 size: 8290 time: 2021-04-08 21:05:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf4030bc218793f89ba42351d853e98a04aa52b5de351a9c261a020c29633888dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y6rlw79mmm0pjw2n29w0rjr5vgqsrje3nasr3elt2kvm0v9g0z5q40m3d2 op_cert: \xe4ee9411ab948fe803cd0267975f8b93b075d9665af247215a443e316531aea2 op_cert_counter: 4