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 5742885 Details
Epoch: 266 Number of transactions in block: 36 slot_no: 29951620 epoch_slot_no: 402820 block_no: 5742708 slot_leader_id: 4558758 size: 13693 time: 2021-05-20 13:38:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf4ce0d80e3583fe09d349db87670b8b4fc02c54c4cc3852603ac4a1e020e4fafBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1juhxtwchflk9wpr2rpqkgzc87chxp2lm5megksvs39ahne96qvjs2x0krq op_cert: \x4f821ec6cb98ce5c91ec91378bc18d665ce9fcf36361336a24803e6e24b2e698 op_cert_counter: 3