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 5248876 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19874761 epoch_slot_no: 261961 block_no: 5248699 slot_leader_id: 5088400 size: 1566 time: 2021-01-23 22:30:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8864c8b82c95789cf622496c11db3bffd8b2d1329522087083323a7670e1c0b0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gnjhn3qensa6anw677y7uvh8rdjkwxhsm0xdehq4xkgvpxeckp5qq8ul8m op_cert: \x61248b5546b04e5822c3530ce46b0521dae0d117a4fe4a417b8743cb53fec3bd op_cert_counter: 1