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 5617814 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27406060 epoch_slot_no: 17260 block_no: 5617637 slot_leader_id: 4809934 size: 6204 time: 2021-04-21 02:32:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd4a220622363a27555819c59950bce1e54fe407535b0acc5347bbe0869ae0fd7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13udtypkcty4yj00gvak7f6f8vs8f6f6l2w6mcp2z97edzp2wu2rqtj538x op_cert: \x83c8c895be777850989a3bd6ae830f1326b6c6224372dd35d78f5066d22eed44 op_cert_counter: 3