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 5246423 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19825391 epoch_slot_no: 212591 block_no: 5246246 slot_leader_id: 5086879 size: 4075 time: 2021-01-23 08:48:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x428b29677fc567f2b9311b816f136440a2cd3a258ce45e0f451dee7ad4c77938Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pnuk3vxjj02nduypjmendete5gj0hh7tpa6f29vsnyujjdrhqvjqkdskqf op_cert: \xc59d14b49847624406bd54556d6371b66e8ba0ab1c8d9888cd4ebd0d5efa8da4 op_cert_counter: 1