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 5256036 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 20017622 epoch_slot_no: 404822 block_no: 5255859 slot_leader_id: 4561787 size: 4342 time: 2021-01-25 14:11:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb21be8e585a8217886af53fa51a70fffede7ce01fc29811656bd985bbcdfdaccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1smxvme4xjznlgxgxs2kzt3am8p3tza55edcfweyvqtvpfdrm6klq8gxc9l op_cert: \x486c7a797bda1f70fad73e88fd60047cffcd23d2a9344494bba2168f3513b179 op_cert_counter: 2