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 5597156 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 26983676 epoch_slot_no: 26876 block_no: 5596979 slot_leader_id: 5048909 size: 7683 time: 2021-04-16 05:12:47 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf297d2d4782dea7955f80724932c2b6c0929874db7e42c234209b4c8721ed123Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hurwaadlhm7jaaerv8z3pj6d30x4w0pasrvh83nz2rflja8w5ftqnuycng op_cert: \x06bc4d47b4017549c1c26c5281770792c014de329e08d76b728c811717e9d1ca op_cert_counter: 1