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 5253206 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19960413 epoch_slot_no: 347613 block_no: 5253029 slot_leader_id: 5154189 size: 5459 time: 2021-01-24 22:18:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x99dd7bbd5b8e037d3538a618e2b359d4d84540b2029c5557f831691cd86ccd70Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18svxfgx9c6hrjsu2yu0zye7fjjhgammq2une528athfuvnyjwatq0hlkvm op_cert: \xb0359ab3e3323d6aaf19cb43aa32d6588cb73c1e5eaf3add2c8bb5ccc1e5cf58 op_cert_counter: 1