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 5257748 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 20052289 epoch_slot_no: 7489 block_no: 5257571 slot_leader_id: 5087834 size: 6895 time: 2021-01-25 23:49:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdafb1c9c5419bd8f862d157dda6926fc13810f5fc4dcba283e5762bd3f623dadBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c9enrdq7hcfhahy6nquktuucgtp59vz35x905mujjhugkj59y3pqs9sdk4 op_cert: \x157103be6710d42e116b357bae14477305de885d947aa10a703d87e9b11b4a53 op_cert_counter: 1