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 5256097 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 20018895 epoch_slot_no: 406095 block_no: 5255920 slot_leader_id: 4984234 size: 1105 time: 2021-01-25 14:33:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x220bd3e629ef6df2515c96ec299e6d3f12ee19aff75ba95af882303930eb639eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gewqa80x8epjqakklng3rsn5az02e8wk7k9ypexa46uwf72h5r3s2q8uf4 op_cert: \x55c8e4386d8b8621cb6df189fc29abfdf07287f88a71e902324ede20102423d6 op_cert_counter: 1