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 5257420 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 20045477 epoch_slot_no: 677 block_no: 5257243 slot_leader_id: 5151352 size: 7260 time: 2021-01-25 21:56:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdc5ed955c41fc5eea240ccc0b9b7ffe7a21ab2d269479af4196c7bf8bdbee49aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dn6zlgggmrmj9as5lzanrvtdsjkwltlj24jv0k7n30d6rspmfnwqtw67ay op_cert: \x01ef81ae483cae9b8e1710998ec7c0f4e7dcaa69e33ffd41851b015ae9a318c7 op_cert_counter: 0