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 5257188 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 20040770 epoch_slot_no: 427970 block_no: 5257011 slot_leader_id: 5003808 size: 2198 time: 2021-01-25 20:37:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfad39bad5a2ccaa73933277b2256fb867aa8df149d0c3a720bf94286e7b62215Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk143s9r24ek68k3pchwj6ene5h5sq2nqek5gc8tkueych36h3g69aq8pergs op_cert: \xab650fcd7e9576ceab4cf8f540f2106b93efc38e834baa79e6c29ef105a815e9 op_cert_counter: 0