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 5596638 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 26972625 epoch_slot_no: 15825 block_no: 5596461 slot_leader_id: 4982078 size: 3969 time: 2021-04-16 02:08:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc960d510927c0e99dc127c20581cdf1340f0e2cf582be2ae45b475574f3f8b89Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h2m78p3tmx37geh6hk33n5sr2xsgk4m8z400cu3qmnw503rys7vqppzd63 op_cert: \x5e62ed0fd7b692598c669d39e11249cca906156e38f778d9bc6515597988f337 op_cert_counter: 3