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 5257417 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 20045399 epoch_slot_no: 599 block_no: 5257240 slot_leader_id: 4561939 size: 3851 time: 2021-01-25 21:54:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x80141a706c709817ba9781e3c3c1b492d93d0546f474f690d53a04f83bf4814cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17vu8ynzjge0r8y65axtwegj5fx8sxc7ncg40a78pts4fwjretpmqpaakxe op_cert: \xbe44fb840cb3cffa79c87fedf61f0b01fada110413f11dc138cd7e9c700750ce op_cert_counter: 2