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 5996373 Details
Epoch: 278 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 35055400 epoch_slot_no: 322600 block_no: 5996196 slot_leader_id: 5047313 size: 6523 time: 2021-07-18 15:21:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9e496ebd2fac370acf329a4601e3fbe12af85161347948cce7ad88d86449688fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1cwukgz49fxl6w6g9wtq4kc7eptuyxv66kgfc7heyv0c3etn579sqg9djx9 op_cert: \x8e79fe02f8f03805f68f667867f3d14bbbe69c0ad2ab6d0961f3850fdec7f189 op_cert_counter: 3