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 5617585 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 27401160 epoch_slot_no: 12360 block_no: 5617408 slot_leader_id: 4614290 size: 13962 time: 2021-04-21 01:10:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b70da0f4ffc21069d48467d05e37474016e5d7243c844bfdde212e86fa57298Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1maculfw24mfcn6dfzrl4rywxalwgayqknrqzyx9lcaxhml92pj6sra9lu5 op_cert: \x2c48f00023593bc9eee263f9fddd041ab97fbb8d5d03599bd7244c0311c896bb op_cert_counter: 4