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 5248743 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19872186 epoch_slot_no: 259386 block_no: 5248566 slot_leader_id: 4982078 size: 1070 time: 2021-01-23 21:47:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1e33c9d9dac01bdcf6dd9fea98643712fa850e973b3bd31d059020490d04dfedBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h2m78p3tmx37geh6hk33n5sr2xsgk4m8z400cu3qmnw503rys7vqppzd63 op_cert: \x64f16281a3d9553a5719597e68ec0ad567cb6802116e6f9d4ccd65cc0967852c op_cert_counter: 2