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 5598682 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 36 slot_no: 27014527 epoch_slot_no: 57727 block_no: 5598505 slot_leader_id: 5151470 size: 17942 time: 2021-04-16 13:46:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdcb4f532ce539b34a86e2e90a1c4864d0a9e90bd2e6a9ed781f1304ab93e753aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xync2ctlr2uudtevq73z4khxu05txvm5ednmx87005aw22ecr29qg67r25 op_cert: \x0d9b30279f1d7364788c317faef9deb4d479fc464325c405959a763c3b8fb6ec op_cert_counter: 1