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 5252445 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19945118 epoch_slot_no: 332318 block_no: 5252268 slot_leader_id: 4689830 size: 2122 time: 2021-01-24 18:03:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9fd1ba34539cd5646350d45084278a2c81b646ba69ab0f12f844410d59674e9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pw52gwjshsr4tslssyx9ssk2fpv0ytrf20lj4uh2gfudx7jqp5tsj88p57 op_cert: \x441d3df4cb8908d5e099926c2eceb9c6e1092282fdcb90d1fbd3b1ab3897c729 op_cert_counter: 2