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 5740686 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 34 slot_no: 29906395 epoch_slot_no: 357595 block_no: 5740509 slot_leader_id: 5351688 size: 16402 time: 2021-05-20 01:04:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd4a12aaf95f6e474cb3e44a8a0e9b455d99fc80594db788f09f48e65cfffe008Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16qpt5559g4pdny2p39250vx4flt96xzk6g0cya6gkaeq46ke7vxq5y4zvx op_cert: \xe15d69a8d6667946d0349c7aba55e5498ec09ea7f6e0f1099c1b7198a1d24a81 op_cert_counter: 1