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 5542689 Details
Epoch: 257 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 25855359 epoch_slot_no: 194559 block_no: 5542512 slot_leader_id: 4986022 size: 10951 time: 2021-04-03 03:47:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x735edef11535911a6996ccfec322286ccc02d06dbc69453026ca76bfc26a4cc1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19swxhma6hlcf6srrj67njjua4kh088n48prkdf5s2d8h6x8j23fsyyu7gk op_cert: \xffefa3a68b91617f7ff2471e5718ddfa4f02ac41699cc8628fb5b9e2c3c69612 op_cert_counter: 1