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 5244721 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19790686 epoch_slot_no: 177886 block_no: 5244544 slot_leader_id: 5087938 size: 2008 time: 2021-01-22 23:09:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x49a2ec8e1b0b8f7f04ef7f68870e815fca6934d4f06ad1e1b4292aba808221a8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12m0ahlxegk5uuh8s85luk9sdk52spu4lykh52wcl05qkkjeqtnws6ajwk5 op_cert: \xbbcd955ee037a990f03097e7d7483c9b0a228f55662c4902688cfc0a75c2c8ed op_cert_counter: 1