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 5609177 Details
Epoch: 260 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 27228343 epoch_slot_no: 271543 block_no: 5609000 slot_leader_id: 4555974 size: 28293 time: 2021-04-19 01:10:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x81ce4de4faedf7394ae8405447b3d00da21909492a5fe179b9ceaf64ed4a8ee3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h6dppjvlwnetf76p4n09x5rc5cfh4atyyrxfhdy0azz4rcv4p2xqfuugd3 op_cert: \x06e23d5811b2dd07ad9b132188be4170fd74c2ee3151b8f7bae3432e0a69e637 op_cert_counter: 3