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 5597618 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 40 slot_no: 26993221 epoch_slot_no: 36421 block_no: 5597441 slot_leader_id: 5085239 size: 23586 time: 2021-04-16 07:51:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0c2e889adce5e0db729008bb3c7b9a8917a11beac17576d8707e816da83d60b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tw8khexwm89e4jnhvtpehplj7n44ccct8j5ahm8ev5ydyj250mqq3fd3zx op_cert: \x1e3af59a34220c0aa57eb34f6435e90d17b9638cf98ee8fd27f3f099b6b02921 op_cert_counter: 2