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 5618263 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 47 slot_no: 27415114 epoch_slot_no: 26314 block_no: 5618086 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 20305 time: 2021-04-21 05:03:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x33b3e997251571595dfa01659490edd7ef5add25342c44f5bd4d2626ac18f735Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \xc272f30f55117a764ee181eff14c54b327842a6e2638bc159760b348e7a11dcb op_cert_counter: 6