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 5618684 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 27424134 epoch_slot_no: 35334 block_no: 5618507 slot_leader_id: 5086944 size: 3580 time: 2021-04-21 07:33:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x451bafaa0065c8a99ea486a598b50e9073cf381e53a99a9701efe3c7c41cfb2eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yrw00a2knfxwg6ju5fqu4pqnxkc4uedn35u43y3mcgm9m99s626qgugm8p op_cert: \x4c5a1ed9250fb72f332825db8d976194b48c1b7e312581f4a883d2b603d87655 op_cert_counter: 3