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 5246902 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19834870 epoch_slot_no: 222070 block_no: 5246725 slot_leader_id: 4555470 size: 2446 time: 2021-01-23 11:26:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9f4be7c8ef2ee659d20a9fa7f334e1ef06975349171a6cbd1b7c059d4902ebecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v0encvmzxvrq6t7z8kcv97zfl6zs7cw9m3s668rw34vwkk9yqh4qsq0szv op_cert: \x6764a0a7d7de0fcbff9bf0293454d2f7c7a14841dfd0cc6995a74a5821a06477 op_cert_counter: 4