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 5257533 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 20047772 epoch_slot_no: 2972 block_no: 5257356 slot_leader_id: 4662751 size: 13556 time: 2021-01-25 22:34:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5b671332c54a58f7c7884a4ee9df4f40be837e7ae4e634ba703803f3ba02b553Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wytjcwdhdzscs33j6qzp9vtq4z9eg7s335x2r6n0mx6cskk9m76qkkk3j2 op_cert: \x5380ff75beea81e8bf4c71187483816e0290251fdd5d14e6db0fc6c11aa2af40 op_cert_counter: 2