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 5742617 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 29946427 epoch_slot_no: 397627 block_no: 5742440 slot_leader_id: 5449505 size: 15356 time: 2021-05-20 12:11:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xafa488f1a0d9528a73e0c780bb0f1d33f2d2f1ce98df439060647d934361d011Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ezhtnhetkgm53jx7wc08esufyfp75cvk34cul20uhkg4ph6knuys9qay6z op_cert: \x816f54e69044d0d2bf8d111fbf48cfdc76893f82d18d91f098db47eb40bebc6d op_cert_counter: 1