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 5618836 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 27426716 epoch_slot_no: 37916 block_no: 5618659 slot_leader_id: 5027344 size: 2552 time: 2021-04-21 08:16:47 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf7605854eeb8cf9f6a63525bba4cc3096964588b4ce29a6f556cdf8a15f85f6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1038jvydsxw53xul39j7zmyuxg9fuq4w53xcezywqpf5nxldydcwsj6mmjr op_cert: \xc9afa1b6cf22629442ebf9876b39afc5c162b89ca63c2b7b82c468614d696f07 op_cert_counter: 4