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 5597685 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 26994533 epoch_slot_no: 37733 block_no: 5597508 slot_leader_id: 5322587 size: 8906 time: 2021-04-16 08:13:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa0906e712f2ab5c0782f62ab4c1018c33aedd92df218e379a0a8487362a9eda2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mpjz9xaqn9jry63na8kkj5vlyp59mxkza9c93s84jpq6sh6z8ujq7avyn9 op_cert: \xbb1ccbcd924affd42bff12a58ef3e646415481cc042f3473aa8cb0424a498008 op_cert_counter: 2