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 5617821 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 27406165 epoch_slot_no: 17365 block_no: 5617644 slot_leader_id: 5609069 size: 9820 time: 2021-04-21 02:34:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfa68e7352ed4b9c9c2fa429fce01fd82c1453f5d1122f279e217143a0010aaffBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dmfzwhws8y89m85ty2w6juscq7ppgmnjtkuk2arrluvc37erxpmqacnf4u op_cert: \x8edce81727839c863cba3ebccf5889ac3dbabb7eb5c6d6e4abbb7fe194671d30 op_cert_counter: 0