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 5596523 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 26970282 epoch_slot_no: 13482 block_no: 5596346 slot_leader_id: 5155708 size: 3794 time: 2021-04-16 01:29:33 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x211a9e74d6853e59b43249511efef343fb83a952f22338ec35e69819522dd237Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1trt3chpnwveum0lew3d6nl7c9836zhr4rczxgu4xlmqr2yd4l00spt8p9f op_cert: \x361dd0c4674adae30e2b3285acc8d94682a56698d671a00de1bc5adff5f7d161 op_cert_counter: 1