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 5742663 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 29947474 epoch_slot_no: 398674 block_no: 5742486 slot_leader_id: 5514275 size: 998 time: 2021-05-20 12:29:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdfdec58326ca7541f8d2ee17f1351dcbc2a33379ed5a36c4fccd81fb839803ecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12ydyjjdg2r0cgzlm439sm6uhcr69dsk4ly6n5x82h3v0u6cw67zq72uaf5 op_cert: \xbaa62ad3ff9a4a94c2218b0bf818def058313921a664226870df5261f39e36c1 op_cert_counter: 0