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 5257023 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20037336 epoch_slot_no: 424536 block_no: 5256846 slot_leader_id: 4614290 size: 894 time: 2021-01-25 19:40:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98503bc2a7b90f82a1b19d14261178dd4f7943c56c43eadf045d0dbcb9c3dec4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1maculfw24mfcn6dfzrl4rywxalwgayqknrqzyx9lcaxhml92pj6sra9lu5 op_cert: \xc6f26b15a45d6ed1b147daeb881167e52c11a4f0f2409398bfa56fc3b8dc5662 op_cert_counter: 1