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 5604257 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 27128622 epoch_slot_no: 171822 block_no: 5604080 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 15297 time: 2021-04-17 21:28:33 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4499f122cf4fb9db4deedd8782372f4d4606ed2cc3df42ad283cfc18b20aca6fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \xcf6b37c187183ed5ab4d53bc761af6692e6d31064e33cf740cbcef319895522e op_cert_counter: 4