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 5638495 Details
Epoch: 262 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27829477 epoch_slot_no: 8677 block_no: 5638318 slot_leader_id: 5279994 size: 7625 time: 2021-04-26 00:09:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaf8e4460d32be0525f6d95cf395337add95ba883d0504fd9e52086941fa7e7d3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mhpemjndf7zsenlnglnvfapmevlfzvuxzqkk0cjs7wlyrf5kddkq64vz94 op_cert: \x6e96d3ed357e275c4881d49b2b4ed8c30662d8a44d406c2fc536c027b99a2403 op_cert_counter: 1