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 5248221 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19861491 epoch_slot_no: 248691 block_no: 5248044 slot_leader_id: 5082420 size: 1487 time: 2021-01-23 18:49:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd3507c7a7db1befacd77a90cc9c9bff0e68fa8a5617c7a919a4ac9937d764db3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u6f2g2l0y7gkhzme9kaq5akmyantge5qxz8vlgv4gsrp9fp47xrqyxgrwu op_cert: \xceaa030537ee96f4be605ae1b411dcfe520445b56817893c2e2fa9b13eff35cb op_cert_counter: 0