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 5742440 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 29942637 epoch_slot_no: 393837 block_no: 5742263 slot_leader_id: 4564259 size: 10521 time: 2021-05-20 11:08:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2426ec8d89590875b265f6413f261bd153bb070a4115a56a759f067a1fc6a393Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gdvfyt2slq5gjh8qw6u83t693uh5u8au6cgyjzk5p8v5tmp7qzpqztxpq6 op_cert: \x5bcacbb32c53d306b9d58a67b43504c49748ec3630981aaeefa0cb8b5ed7f425 op_cert_counter: 3