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 5617991 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 27409938 epoch_slot_no: 21138 block_no: 5617814 slot_leader_id: 4557324 size: 11837 time: 2021-04-21 03:37:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x968ac633efa46b99a1b6d02c0c4b1960c163959ca4c13736d96b1c2be18688faBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1skdrf0m3zwdl5udrvfjuwhe72qau4wnv552c7ttmsqvw0uu6hgcqw3h20c op_cert: \x061073a05caec5c16394f79b5a643fcc1b11c2602f9de44eded24b05bf5cff89 op_cert_counter: 3