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 5252546 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19946998 epoch_slot_no: 334198 block_no: 5252369 slot_leader_id: 4555561 size: 1126 time: 2021-01-24 18:34:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0833a85b4589ff9ac56ef638205b6af47a04d41aff54ea1449ceed54a52f26d9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vahd9zncqkeaehp09j3g93a8kmdhk8gy4cn8spc8tze0e5eegflqkak6k6 op_cert: \x09bcb50ac36bc33a15e585da7c411316398718535494bbacdc88eb4bc9ffd5e5 op_cert_counter: 1