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 5253862 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19974218 epoch_slot_no: 361418 block_no: 5253685 slot_leader_id: 4556762 size: 2078 time: 2021-01-25 02:08:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb887e1f431fcddbc5a7f446620f9b5e465041f4dd20628ca454ec231afc1d321Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6htw3vtc0mk0kcynlv783jahpwjgvvhl7hgwy3nje79n0k5sqzscy5045 op_cert: \x09fb028f24144e81a3229afa95a9a7a07f05da911c4df3786cc618f48d0386fa op_cert_counter: 3