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 5597851 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 26997460 epoch_slot_no: 40660 block_no: 5597674 slot_leader_id: 5279773 size: 13561 time: 2021-04-16 09:02:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x73c43a74697c4d30c1d8e4e81c2d0f1cafd732140eb988b6b5527fae6fe13b21Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10h4ngjv2fn5saeft9j42r7qy5j0nwy8aftq3pe0era5xhgtenh6qlgu8j0 op_cert: \xcbcd051b370a3cfd142843e0c0f8ca60a16a6e6228d41021246c43ea8a4f37d9 op_cert_counter: 0