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 5246959 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19836023 epoch_slot_no: 223223 block_no: 5246782 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 396 time: 2021-01-23 11:45:14 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7e053572d144fd7a63d1027613f9f7eda8c65e351aa892482bd52e4ec04f1dd8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \xf62b85b42ea77495f3458319127dafe15eb01fdbfb08f992ecc5aeac4c7765b9 op_cert_counter: 2