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 5598688 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 27014669 epoch_slot_no: 57869 block_no: 5598511 slot_leader_id: 5087835 size: 5195 time: 2021-04-16 13:49:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x969f583fca34532bccd50302057883fc681f458e3b9c13200335996e24e4ae39Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtk5t3ejp3t6s8sewz43e5kj8md4lqr03zzulhwnaz6urgk5x23sc8jhca op_cert: \xd4f49ec92b221d4336a7e98df0505e83b684496d485a1d5dd819e009a1ebdfec op_cert_counter: 4