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 5256640 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 20029912 epoch_slot_no: 417112 block_no: 5256463 slot_leader_id: 5087787 size: 2432 time: 2021-01-25 17:36:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7975209364c12565930ea2b58c21e48d7c2006286c6a772712a7f44218f9eb72Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15wjuugwl5qgpahp9edc7z9dartl3kfc72a6tdj6ecv7scnj6p73str2kg9 op_cert: \xf4e4b50e4f2c47cbde6aee1170b5dde77a244b2c38ff882f2c87d2151c821eaa op_cert_counter: 1