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 5246255 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19822241 epoch_slot_no: 209441 block_no: 5246078 slot_leader_id: 4557809 size: 383 time: 2021-01-23 07:55:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8882ebad573a4203784d0a32f2cc92ef96cb129492954f689f807c544e0f7e9dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y9m9n3mky4vhmungyeavy3sz47ddes80semnueneuzpaj7s7u7fs5w8kzn op_cert: \x85a638abf9ace090b466ae7306d214b5e04c7818c086fd5f2c4468da74765630 op_cert_counter: 3