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 5253662 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19970143 epoch_slot_no: 357343 block_no: 5253485 slot_leader_id: 5038629 size: 4425 time: 2021-01-25 01:00:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf53985dc0867bfe6bca16985970ceaeff26d72bab2c702f9177607c67d6cdf1eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1225yd8gdk4pd4jujmh976nrnskrh5hnkgexjwkmqxwml67tjfm9qxaypnx op_cert: \x352e60c9546c59e4e44e03777d7a360252e73b061083e4722486d6eaadabebfd op_cert_counter: 0