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 5618285 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 27415543 epoch_slot_no: 26743 block_no: 5618108 slot_leader_id: 5086951 size: 1729 time: 2021-04-21 05:10:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xca1b7cfbf2dc11a0497b4998c1a5df822fb2320b61381dfe2e7217a72e759eebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18x0e7dx8j37gdxftnn8ru6jcxs7n6acdazc4ykeda2ygjwg9a7ls7ns699 op_cert: \xc41c42d5d36b748c596242d70ab06f81893d0ce6f474d2388d8643bbcf559568 op_cert_counter: 3