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 5245721 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19811193 epoch_slot_no: 198393 block_no: 5245544 slot_leader_id: 4571601 size: 804 time: 2021-01-23 04:51:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x15cffd195183a82cf5680dba86aad62482c98a7e72190945c0289160e0ff1bc3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14r56d8jlceemssc6gq6cf4ega7zdu554rmtrz9l2zvv332wtcu4sfyfjz0 op_cert: \x98b82141846700505a2ef1121de1eeaa964c8b89f1a0a383ddb4ee862330393f op_cert_counter: 4