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 5255531 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 20007265 epoch_slot_no: 394465 block_no: 5255354 slot_leader_id: 4557910 size: 2709 time: 2021-01-25 11:19:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x879ae5f2fe52d3d7ed5fdb7f571e8172752e0148fddb8256b6df5bfad2cc8efaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vclfxu5y6wekn5fhd7jy2vzvjedflq6c24uxctwn33dx7l3jcd5qffsueu op_cert: \xaafe9a6434f243f71b122df6586bf3ba4eccb787e1a7d8066a6b50551ab3cf56 op_cert_counter: 3