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 5257489 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 20046759 epoch_slot_no: 1959 block_no: 5257312 slot_leader_id: 4593486 size: 4704 time: 2021-01-25 22:17:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x35f69514f0bdaaa48d2f0963350157379441082857df709964e009f1a4d5e5f8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14md6rl6nkscz0p6cgsskqkfpnvvnnzmm2hwtfuks28esus68h9hs826jk7 op_cert: \x7bea8ea66e930bbc2ca28d3e4560e1534d4af090e5c6001dbbb16128805a1f08 op_cert_counter: 2