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 5598595 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 27012669 epoch_slot_no: 55869 block_no: 5598418 slot_leader_id: 4981421 size: 13267 time: 2021-04-16 13:16:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa6c8ba37f1f86b36c91fa20676daa3fa29effb8fb77917bd86ce8a51dbd8992fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tqh0annmqlwewqu5wpdxvmxcf2t9wut2rqcty5raqwjqwsaewl5qq9fvc8 op_cert: \xbe41c4187f58af546550213da017dbcd6500eeaa6a6a590afe7947551de9e7ac op_cert_counter: 1