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 5598429 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 27009293 epoch_slot_no: 52493 block_no: 5598252 slot_leader_id: 5046367 size: 7931 time: 2021-04-16 12:19:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa928f7c5d376fd4e76999ab12b06f42cb708c4cb5315491039cd7e3fced01ebaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c30p4kcpcqfvc4cqfhg7az8mdvzfazx6w9gfhzu7jvpva3exuwasjxn8lj op_cert: \xfb75462420affc69f39e520e11119289468c42ef7094ef3da19d38e436dc60a3 op_cert_counter: 3