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 5246218 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19821473 epoch_slot_no: 208673 block_no: 5246041 slot_leader_id: 5087519 size: 1307 time: 2021-01-23 07:42:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x02f775edd44c8cbb62cf6bfb11e5c2a67862e3746109f6538c1318b08d22d76aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk144229nh5shlv30z5kg7h8cq9gmc09y6y0ugcepfrvkpezvvjtd9s4rr9wj op_cert: \x6056b55747d9d8ac9f2c5c9feb9c14f915c319c5d12036ce271d8a5a319bf153 op_cert_counter: 1