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 5257066 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 20037988 epoch_slot_no: 425188 block_no: 5256889 slot_leader_id: 4555377 size: 3470 time: 2021-01-25 19:51:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9720f25bcc5cff2c39be1de6a7be9b1d3947dad5c987be158d6c186c6b4a5b26Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14thn5n83s7q979n0jt33a9vg80pxl3dn0r2tk3d8lhyu3u02qy2q982sjd op_cert: \x82d4ea457bd4a031fa5f34aafbe604614019a6ae46ccb75cd9b3c94e6da8eb50 op_cert_counter: 3