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 5617364 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 27396531 epoch_slot_no: 7731 block_no: 5617187 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 8952 time: 2021-04-20 23:53:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcb60ac8df1013b5cfb64b99c305dbaabeb90eb642e151d2b46c78453983d4f4fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \xdfe3c55c4d8fc3d619af1ca4e45aa3d8db8dbedc8cf4d343f8cffe437e3b00c8 op_cert_counter: 4