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 5248098 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19859080 epoch_slot_no: 246280 block_no: 5247921 slot_leader_id: 4711714 size: 805 time: 2021-01-23 18:09:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xca98363fcfb178e2e63adde09dda9a2417eaad7bfd359868f6f3aa15850b12a2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1epams3708wqnm8khz8u3hhph9f3zyl7eh3k7a9k2ys03y9nz73msfxhwug op_cert: \x44ee90fbbd4cc1bf8395be1a4363a4932def148d61d6a751873a780644c2de7d op_cert_counter: 4