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 5686617 Details
Epoch: 264 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 28811772 epoch_slot_no: 126972 block_no: 5686440 slot_leader_id: 4664676 size: 6103 time: 2021-05-07 09:01:03 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1ef1f4554d39fd5fb785e8baf105a2f02abf0b018e660b058d698592bd14efcaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ccmn22jxu6rmt2s98kch5ry8h666pasqf2sx969aj2el62g4kx3sg0xglv op_cert: \xcda48e20699f9e07d2736c26cb5fea309263409dec21580413285992d7f7c609 op_cert_counter: 4