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 5248617 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19869728 epoch_slot_no: 256928 block_no: 5248440 slot_leader_id: 4490693 size: 4401 time: 2021-01-23 21:06:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4b96fd6f1fd4a0a1f126b9e839edfb5b888ec34bce7350f335fd527f2d030d26Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ytuuajlv7wvxj57qr6j5ycx69l54ks5nzswqwyn4fhhec6dtdjgsqmzku7 op_cert: \xc3f4df19deb4c22a2c4926602bad720dcbe32f0ad5d37e01ec2b75e28fada426 op_cert_counter: 1