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 5617731 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 27404119 epoch_slot_no: 15319 block_no: 5617554 slot_leader_id: 4698595 size: 26040 time: 2021-04-21 02:00:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x89884a4a68891a3d43e16cb9c94abe4c35004990bb1720d797a4571a0652e957Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cduqxqsd8rt54ycdzz8rgj6flyuvvkvdrgacudaqp3md3r4edgjq6h4vzf op_cert: \x72fb8ec1632d7e6099ef43117d83d2018d154046f97fe57efea3ac617f912424 op_cert_counter: 2