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 5740638 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 29905579 epoch_slot_no: 356779 block_no: 5740461 slot_leader_id: 4689830 size: 13978 time: 2021-05-20 00:51:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x543958b42457757a1aa1b3fab12c5ee7a367d18109595b4fa4ae93f9edea02c9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pw52gwjshsr4tslssyx9ssk2fpv0ytrf20lj4uh2gfudx7jqp5tsj88p57 op_cert: \x2a6769e4fb47409f7f8ab20a73d61fff6aef301847a52dae0417fa933b9686cd op_cert_counter: 3