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 5256581 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 20028573 epoch_slot_no: 415773 block_no: 5256404 slot_leader_id: 4557019 size: 1958 time: 2021-01-25 17:14:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b43bf5e5656542c7c6c2d6618a97cb2d703ba3b6edab00a4c0b8a8fdbbd95bfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15tnknae6sl0r6rva3eawmx3ykq4hns4mvgc4v7k274us5jtru4dqjl78yy op_cert: \xab9d48d1cbc3f588888c8053e05cb589445910e0051c6516519dbceb4b23cd4b op_cert_counter: 4