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 5248658 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19870548 epoch_slot_no: 257748 block_no: 5248481 slot_leader_id: 5153012 size: 3659 time: 2021-01-23 21:20:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2f772e9131196dc91be84266cd32c7c2da219ebe534bf369ee847ce3c5a73dd4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nn8nsxsnqmxnke2h207s9rua3g0ruudxlmxn6vyw9egpn9xx5t9q8pv3sp op_cert: \x7f3d6a2cabe7f180cefd9e8c44a504d5746d1a74cb6f0777d42a466556b9c5f3 op_cert_counter: 1