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 5585616 Details
Epoch: 259 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 26738513 epoch_slot_no: 213713 block_no: 5585439 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 12177 time: 2021-04-13 09:06:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9f1f64ea699fea52a037b7ef6f0f319f3c2f85a387e5a14ba8be6393acfb7c4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \x030a7d69e8316453d0dd13bbd5589f3ebee8e492a2b805eb6627214570879178 op_cert_counter: 4