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 5245398 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19804638 epoch_slot_no: 191838 block_no: 5245221 slot_leader_id: 4558666 size: 383 time: 2021-01-23 03:02:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98e176cf24d2bf6b2448a2aa8b23bd8d3be5c7473e326ca720c01439a8ec0ad0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s3hssxtpjdjc9amqn9wqn6dfyzujsv8jrk6pkl4esfpp99v48ujsflsn70 op_cert: \x6576001f04817d88fdc03c5727de604b4d320a3102cf1c462063324aa09e2c81 op_cert_counter: 2