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 5688338 Details
Epoch: 264 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 28846794 epoch_slot_no: 161994 block_no: 5688161 slot_leader_id: 4593560 size: 9432 time: 2021-05-07 18:44:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x42412c76cf4bd5c16146499d3041b42d66fb25c98f3a3f8afa7930662216f13cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ggwfsd8e8n2z46z6t660zkl3k8vg5yh07rcuhue6xq9lfl2vhscqmnehd4 op_cert: \x46f923ed2357ef5da49689f3f6f83734669bee27f3b6feb5a98ef741f4122244 op_cert_counter: 2