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 5696663 Details
Epoch: 264 Number of transactions in block: 33 slot_no: 29015880 epoch_slot_no: 331080 block_no: 5696486 slot_leader_id: 5236443 size: 17816 time: 2021-05-09 17:42:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0a2b74510416605f63bbedf6525679714ddf645690ca28b8f4f4f10bbba249d1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gentgp95j4c5eevqrh0gnsxunr7suzjexsrymkd5ddmvuf8hxssqksqq5j op_cert: \x434c2660a61e5d7b8801ba9413978a6e0fbdff01f31e7a902732c2b6da718972 op_cert_counter: 1