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 5244379 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19783958 epoch_slot_no: 171158 block_no: 5244202 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 1153 time: 2021-01-22 21:17:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9245541662b7827ffda85073f450ab8847a802f3dd310646123d12625c6161c5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \xe1205967f081ca9cda6557df2b100d54df1d03d5b6aa651d0b4b65bf360c61d7 op_cert_counter: 2