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 5617308 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27395127 epoch_slot_no: 6327 block_no: 5617131 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 12984 time: 2021-04-20 23:30:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa19994e41aa2541f2590d2155d775aeec08edf6e364cabb4649f25d8eb58292fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \xc272f30f55117a764ee181eff14c54b327842a6e2638bc159760b348e7a11dcb op_cert_counter: 6