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 5626658 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27586883 epoch_slot_no: 198083 block_no: 5626481 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 6595 time: 2021-04-23 04:46:14 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3ace987e41b6df8019053474656614d1fb271132ec957c6caefe49ac326fea1cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \x0897bcf3cf6556891f9c9d0f586edb855a6c2a47138910fbdc849ed74af3a6c4 op_cert_counter: 3