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 5257704 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 20051391 epoch_slot_no: 6591 block_no: 5257527 slot_leader_id: 4679252 size: 563 time: 2021-01-25 23:34:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x60aacd91e6716b680c24b1db4323ca4e990d8bf8eae7b542db75fa1e7346c32fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u3rp29td29q0txep3j7vvnk3jhpr7rwu8kqwfa34g8ukpqhgppcs8727xq op_cert: \x211ae90ed8299c6bc1162b24c4ee778061df3252e9b41c1914ff084792fad997 op_cert_counter: 2