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 5542246 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 25846732 epoch_slot_no: 185932 block_no: 5542069 slot_leader_id: 4558133 size: 1319 time: 2021-04-03 01:23:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd2c29fbc974adb1d218d89beaa45d15179ed13b21127d28d9099933268360140Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sq2mwyjxq4x8a8xkguduwlg2mqk37nznxyg63dx0jeq50w3c79xs06vq58 op_cert: \xe5229966c94d79108bef956174089b6aa9e6790a8674046428beca45765724fd op_cert_counter: 4