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 5253716 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19971343 epoch_slot_no: 358543 block_no: 5253539 slot_leader_id: 4576734 size: 1974 time: 2021-01-25 01:20:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2ff2890c2df3a6db0f56de133ad13f0c2be79a485a03d629eac9ee0a72dc564eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fn3agt7xmk39nath728znyshgtjkwzqmddawqvtffzaz7wxv07yqtr3usw op_cert: \x83f360c5f8a9d610329193eef7c4cac11f3b47d372b2e6195c364133e73c7bc8 op_cert_counter: 1