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 5638608 Details
Epoch: 262 Number of transactions in block: 24 slot_no: 27831622 epoch_slot_no: 10822 block_no: 5638431 slot_leader_id: 5083768 size: 12580 time: 2021-04-26 00:45:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5d816f1ddf3ff018cf8dd5f28b73db793257ca18ccdcba63e1439b34ed63edc3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1r2y0cvnyp6arv7h2mymc6nepmzdjjuw3cqjs0jz8fagvcpkpwp4suxc3e0 op_cert: \x6bc83326612b0b143a33a87fce23e1ec9b52a1f4576ed1517a95f09751c812ea op_cert_counter: 1