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 5596684 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 44 slot_no: 26973492 epoch_slot_no: 16692 block_no: 5596507 slot_leader_id: 4564504 size: 37718 time: 2021-04-16 02:23:03 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb2b8e9018c5a50ba3958ed87cd1c92b5187d8cf98dcef0ebf0929dc197dbe200Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10acggp4t528duurmsw3qf77aru7f5fprj3vn6mgryjcmlguddfdqeexgqc op_cert: \xaeab37f9b538f4a6535681305bb1767118649438f4dfc1db2442710b98b7493f op_cert_counter: 4