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 5257697 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20051248 epoch_slot_no: 6448 block_no: 5257520 slot_leader_id: 5152360 size: 744 time: 2021-01-25 23:32:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6f550ed5bf0fdaa2ec9f8b6694526198aabf6707a452de473724d0ec0e8bfe04Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pmxyz8efuyj6eq6zkk373f28u47v06nwp5t59jr5fcmcusaazlmqhxu8k2 op_cert: \x706a60699626eafa6d03b0941639328473e6dda8d3e729464c7c4ea9358aa90b op_cert_counter: 1