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 5588735 Details
Epoch: 259 Number of transactions in block: 46 slot_no: 26803138 epoch_slot_no: 278338 block_no: 5588558 slot_leader_id: 5138586 size: 19947 time: 2021-04-14 03:03:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd2774df05a81520f02ed6c62a9053059eb61a1d55ce85ac3d19d34c2dd97e02Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18pxdehr24ll84ecg36pcpurqv3h06fxrg9zcj4m702kat6tagrjsne2cyy op_cert: \x56748200efd968a58dc526144bf17913dfce98313b7aa2cbaefb69110f2a5271 op_cert_counter: 2