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 5617340 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 45 slot_no: 27396006 epoch_slot_no: 7206 block_no: 5617163 slot_leader_id: 4559781 size: 20836 time: 2021-04-20 23:44:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf3511d73d33843661647a6afcbae4ec782dfb643bd1dbf394489f5b9a9bca163Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mepfv252axgj9nhhqpn4kp0qxkmu8pu0hkgj43aq6whk2vrmp2qse6tsnf op_cert: \x3f5dc8c5fb8c106823cf6a8d1b658199930cab869b8659856db22a6b5228c814 op_cert_counter: 4