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 5245601 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19808808 epoch_slot_no: 196008 block_no: 5245424 slot_leader_id: 4653411 size: 3843 time: 2021-01-23 04:11:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc8d35ef8f9dfa2bb6ead92fbddbfd3dc66b9f50bd37f4d78532cf17fbb3472adBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dt4zlgflsmm57zshwzzjcf6me9pgcgk2gg6sq5r4efxnayqlhrvqcrk4k4 op_cert: \x33fa5b4be2bccb80bade9191a4e0835f8567085e9b7c84012994c59f6834e245 op_cert_counter: 1