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 5597026 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 26981123 epoch_slot_no: 24323 block_no: 5596849 slot_leader_id: 4640685 size: 3914 time: 2021-04-16 04:30:14 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x14f5cf511aa938a74cd8ec968310d4101d93254f76574a14dc2811f47669ac82Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12fjnfgfyqpdqu9tl6rjlyn63anxc49yptvyxfya2fd202p9gmxksnlzvk7 op_cert: \xb61d07a19a6d4e389edebf418390d42917854a820b788901c8f58232983be650 op_cert_counter: 2