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 5596340 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 26966708 epoch_slot_no: 9908 block_no: 5596163 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 14981 time: 2021-04-16 00:29:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x023338e54e73604986710e12bde8463e5cb9ed4cf97ed5a40306b9d029f85241Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \x8c799eae6aaab35fa6e27daed80963ec4fda0c9f9abc0504adeb749479afef3a op_cert_counter: 2