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 5642348 Details
Epoch: 262 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 27908515 epoch_slot_no: 87715 block_no: 5642171 slot_leader_id: 4556117 size: 9729 time: 2021-04-26 22:06:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa21a4a8e93d24ab39ea94e601409cda941b27851445b52fa316d7263d42ff9d8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c2lexrd2suefkzu06y3u0hkxvfau9avdvcj9mf6m7se6n5s3r73s6h0rc4 op_cert: \x6f43fdcf7b9b2f1d03f557552f0b8d031ceeb603961d10f829a1823d39807b04 op_cert_counter: 3