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 5580117 Details
Epoch: 259 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 26625389 epoch_slot_no: 100589 block_no: 5579940 slot_leader_id: 5449520 size: 19355 time: 2021-04-12 01:41:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0c2e190fa123f8e4b6ccd5998f10999d3bb1253c58185d476c631e3185bb8d6eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eltmmmv0wvu3n0lxesx298pgxjpytqzj9m42ttvw9fstysv00jaqrt96g5 op_cert: \x4ab49d77e1325ace285079bdff6884c18e7445aa10f8e3ddf519ba8e4015fc09 op_cert_counter: 1