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 5598017 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27001083 epoch_slot_no: 44283 block_no: 5597840 slot_leader_id: 4965776 size: 8368 time: 2021-04-16 10:02:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9f3b0949615cb5948083afe52c6d7bbd96f1d65316fb6e0e0232aa665aaf8a16Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1275jtnedrechugmqe3wxkaehjdwq5akqj4l8z0utqjhzjf4wpays2e2g0l op_cert: \x12516791d34029757ac0c35955c9663e91f816520e0c834562bfd0500ebb3810 op_cert_counter: 1