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 5246456 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19825991 epoch_slot_no: 213191 block_no: 5246279 slot_leader_id: 4556264 size: 1323 time: 2021-01-23 08:58:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x94de0955ad736197b21071228aa56d13e89fae50b37a397e1c31f4abefc79ff6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x8944k6j572wpdtz4tn3l9pam2ddhp6an35ma4ug9mr2rvqflz3shpaj36 op_cert: \xbc6f0d0508796bfbd782cdde83e0576c17cafa883d3b96a4b36d737483dbdd37 op_cert_counter: 2