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 5686695 Details
Epoch: 264 Number of transactions in block: 55 slot_no: 28813604 epoch_slot_no: 128804 block_no: 5686518 slot_leader_id: 4570972 size: 17659 time: 2021-05-07 09:31:35 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x17c1c81ff7c84b8db0474ec3ea75df1f2d1dc48f16ef59a06a9737a1943283c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17h2w9n2e7nvwjexlykmkvhhq2f95vrxjxc2kxqwxp93u5jhs58wsrj0328 op_cert: \x068304ffda1360418035e66d4b6d72c83e5e2b58367a7653115f7b485d34a52f op_cert_counter: 4