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 5253858 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19974149 epoch_slot_no: 361349 block_no: 5253681 slot_leader_id: 5027344 size: 1782 time: 2021-01-25 02:07:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8c8fe27abdb03e59d9e9db2da302d5e78b652e8f7827d0c8495aa62880ec1aa1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1038jvydsxw53xul39j7zmyuxg9fuq4w53xcezywqpf5nxldydcwsj6mmjr op_cert: \xd367045a4190ef69bc9356d8cd3a8be4509ca1af00c88fc66de1f1e14b25eba7 op_cert_counter: 0