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 5257695 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 20051184 epoch_slot_no: 6384 block_no: 5257518 slot_leader_id: 4490693 size: 7441 time: 2021-01-25 23:31:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x14690ac42e18031addcdd1e91f7017bc2b67a4cbc9e2e7a75483209c97680a12Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ytuuajlv7wvxj57qr6j5ycx69l54ks5nzswqwyn4fhhec6dtdjgsqmzku7 op_cert: \xc3f4df19deb4c22a2c4926602bad720dcbe32f0ad5d37e01ec2b75e28fada426 op_cert_counter: 1