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 557686 Details
Epoch: 25 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 557732 epoch_slot_no: 17732 block_no: 557659 slot_leader_id: 12 size: 2984 time: 2018-01-31 00:15:31 proto_major: 0 proto_minor: 1 hash: \xcd971d6f9be476118ef08a5a7276a61a6e7190a01848d1f4230cbd045d2a862bBlock Operator
vrf_key: op_cert: op_cert_counter: