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 5257742 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 20052183 epoch_slot_no: 7383 block_no: 5257565 slot_leader_id: 5038629 size: 5318 time: 2021-01-25 23:47:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5dac89dbb61656faf766117fa6ebb7ca5a103e8132d8173a00a4ff86b605e8d7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1225yd8gdk4pd4jujmh976nrnskrh5hnkgexjwkmqxwml67tjfm9qxaypnx op_cert: \x352e60c9546c59e4e44e03777d7a360252e73b061083e4722486d6eaadabebfd op_cert_counter: 0