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 5597540 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 23 slot_no: 26991363 epoch_slot_no: 34563 block_no: 5597363 slot_leader_id: 4630078 size: 11298 time: 2021-04-16 07:20:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x035752385aab3182a7af2126ce3fb319eddcacf394f3c0d66e7a7587c9f02c34Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177scr85eeu7ma3uzx5d69pglcsqjcjaxrkwl228rd75phaxgetyqls072n op_cert: \xa264f2a30d8660a84ff136b6feef167863f71f4300428914467b910f3666c280 op_cert_counter: 4