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 5252496 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19946147 epoch_slot_no: 333347 block_no: 5252319 slot_leader_id: 4941448 size: 1396 time: 2021-01-24 18:20:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe46ebb9eafaff2ec96faad57a8457b94496b595b1ef7546d06d04baeb6f9daf6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmahu03jycqskaywr79hsckf4esdyecu7g3lypnnznrhps3ddylsn4fya9 op_cert: \xe8443aea7828ea978cf191aea7385664a4012e34f99a41605d4ebfa7eac7a707 op_cert_counter: 7