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 5596657 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 26972943 epoch_slot_no: 16143 block_no: 5596480 slot_leader_id: 4579330 size: 872 time: 2021-04-16 02:13:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf964e00d9120d7679b93fd4d30d3f537feb0f56dba40b53847f04951dc1e60c8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hff333krucx82wjdhnwnfvusg8p4zn22lwmf2pmd2e5mghu52hqvpf8qj op_cert: \xc1059451f3ec218c537fa827c24e943729d25e20bbe78b44490fee7286cbd159 op_cert_counter: 3