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 5257578 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 20048618 epoch_slot_no: 3818 block_no: 5257401 slot_leader_id: 5153012 size: 3109 time: 2021-01-25 22:48:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3dac5e38ecd3995a5811dff1818418c820fdbee78cf5f691f1fa4338e3cf2315Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nn8nsxsnqmxnke2h207s9rua3g0ruudxlmxn6vyw9egpn9xx5t9q8pv3sp op_cert: \x7f3d6a2cabe7f180cefd9e8c44a504d5746d1a74cb6f0777d42a466556b9c5f3 op_cert_counter: 1