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 5257692 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 20051098 epoch_slot_no: 6298 block_no: 5257515 slot_leader_id: 4560858 size: 9662 time: 2021-01-25 23:29:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x458d7e18605a89486810cc3a91b6697ff61544bb04eae5d123a2499312bb5746Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mrwwxpf2pdsu4es46gu7rjy82fntc0538p8a7vuhrmu2ddxn68kqstj6y3 op_cert: \xe1205967f081ca9cda6557df2b100d54df1d03d5b6aa651d0b4b65bf360c61d7 op_cert_counter: 2