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 5257788 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 20053070 epoch_slot_no: 8270 block_no: 5257611 slot_leader_id: 5150684 size: 2363 time: 2021-01-26 00:02:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2c6405a03e64d717248db2d026fdb1945b2e43cc5dc47565066d93e45999e0afBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1znpcyauy5w2fkpnhm97y7r6wt3jdkgla0kvvmesymrk36us2vptsl3d784 op_cert: \xf4a6ca8a30e899f69d3ee3fc8f1e0b699e6bd48da6ddbffc5d5f0b27d1827e86 op_cert_counter: 1