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 5608438 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 27213423 epoch_slot_no: 256623 block_no: 5608261 slot_leader_id: 5205307 size: 9565 time: 2021-04-18 21:01:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x362f274c46a5590531640e61d01a8ca5badafeb80b56b2c1223f2a3b214cd7aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xdcjhpxmgr0lfuvrtuje5xf60qz8ny7jqrtrp53r78jculyfk6hqhqd4mt op_cert: \x48ef359665ab68c1427936711111fcc840bc4f3f5d193f288c43c475a4f0e494 op_cert_counter: 1