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 5246203 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19821181 epoch_slot_no: 208381 block_no: 5246026 slot_leader_id: 5087245 size: 1677 time: 2021-01-23 07:37:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf46573d1223d294169e6e18da2f29036ca2172cd41f76b234c6cd4a89deeef66Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1umxltv0096574dz8a5gme46jjre60tdtd769gl85v7shcu5j04jqfwmzrx op_cert: \x558e42126481f69c25dfae92390bee4c168eb8aad94f0a0a61ead79c2f9dc815 op_cert_counter: 1