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 5617536 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 27400066 epoch_slot_no: 11266 block_no: 5617359 slot_leader_id: 4575269 size: 2858 time: 2021-04-21 00:52:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd2da261ec7f316500724e3c15c94f8ff4ff6957bbba9be6ffc4b5ff318f8fd76Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p697xaw602mudxcfswfgn7snnl8t3eca30tds8sfk96er247zacqrtaqfh op_cert: \x74a4b555e45e90943fa012debbb346206432e5cada1d1363cd15961ac4f05e5e op_cert_counter: 7