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 5597544 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 26991479 epoch_slot_no: 34679 block_no: 5597367 slot_leader_id: 5010262 size: 6599 time: 2021-04-16 07:22:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8f0a675daf81b3f29ccac6f0b82ad87171b0dadd17a762f40457ff45f4fbbfeeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15v3sz8x6tykxwz0dn6c3r6a227mx4q83834f974c4yj84g9x25ds2rutwp op_cert: \xcfecdd532a69bf53d1f251b4cca663716dabbd252604bd0a6e38e4b621bfa417 op_cert_counter: 1