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 5435217 Details
Epoch: 252 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 23643405 epoch_slot_no: 142605 block_no: 5435040 slot_leader_id: 4985470 size: 636 time: 2021-03-08 13:21:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf99490de2a81f05811b6a2711806b4bb61ae7a796402a7233bddc4ec57aaafd2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ygptnml8rkgw9dmguft6dr8dnjaapk80lsynqdwzl9aap08qg6mslll3fc op_cert: \xe166384e4504a02c9165bf236a72e8ad26cab482cd9addb4e6dc7ed6182761a1 op_cert_counter: 1