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 5659430 Details
Epoch: 263 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 28256046 epoch_slot_no: 3246 block_no: 5659253 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 9143 time: 2021-04-30 22:38:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x226c0621716dc27105cfbf242b4a5dc53fa547c3fad3457d6a0b96e3d650c288Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \x542babacc71b7b3ef81316f2db0b5af87f178e7d7655bd847803396fc5c673a3 op_cert_counter: 9