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 5578686 Details
Epoch: 259 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 26595130 epoch_slot_no: 70330 block_no: 5578509 slot_leader_id: 5355092 size: 1460 time: 2021-04-11 17:17:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9cd1e9df9aee63ea4328b9eb835049fa5336c7cd9c72cb677b19951f598186d7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ankshstfu8yml8xrsrmsf4qzvtrfwmnles5zqnerwzlnxzwt602sl5qvms op_cert: \xd87b3de84782d691120beb9ad68b7fec2891e7604e1514b3429e608f9f3012e1 op_cert_counter: 1