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 5257259 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 20042077 epoch_slot_no: 429277 block_no: 5257082 slot_leader_id: 4559781 size: 2207 time: 2021-01-25 20:59:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x21b61500e5e29cd4321fb01f0a7bfe5f957c487abf7fe770260e33ff1ec9bafdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mepfv252axgj9nhhqpn4kp0qxkmu8pu0hkgj43aq6whk2vrmp2qse6tsnf op_cert: \x9cd3e4e124e099a21e221fe4e25a784e14093218ea12df3f31d1a98a53a7eeb4 op_cert_counter: 3