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 5642349 Details
Epoch: 262 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 27908527 epoch_slot_no: 87727 block_no: 5642172 slot_leader_id: 5638278 size: 2242 time: 2021-04-26 22:06:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc3247e71f1ac2837830adb1dcfdc1b8efbe0975da5ccc41bc4585d7ecb76977eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk158ac4y638z3pvvng0a4g8zc2hw3py9h3ew0fulzpudtx6qz9he0qudjvx3 op_cert: \x8681a2c47273abe98b739b8f3b879ed9013d21e268eeebb8e63b731b15800457 op_cert_counter: 0