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 5257603 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 20049083 epoch_slot_no: 4283 block_no: 5257426 slot_leader_id: 4557910 size: 2359 time: 2021-01-25 22:56:14 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x67dddf51e64ceeac353c1b3779703bcc8bbbda5d06e15f35b6efbc27d7753317Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vclfxu5y6wekn5fhd7jy2vzvjedflq6c24uxctwn33dx7l3jcd5qffsueu op_cert: \xaafe9a6434f243f71b122df6586bf3ba4eccb787e1a7d8066a6b50551ab3cf56 op_cert_counter: 3