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 5598558 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 27012060 epoch_slot_no: 55260 block_no: 5598381 slot_leader_id: 5060241 size: 10911 time: 2021-04-16 13:05:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf45264cbf72d435f32709244e8e588dd76ea3c573212deadd8aa3f1f7c0e0e91Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w9w6w47pvl5ggnj93adhu6azpte6srcnpj2fmx9lk0r5ucc7gfssqkncr6 op_cert: \xf1f9351732d7cc13df03a78183d3a61af9c0b0d14ccbbb1762ec0c0c1916fedf op_cert_counter: 7