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 5257830 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 20053854 epoch_slot_no: 9054 block_no: 5257653 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 4502 time: 2021-01-26 00:15:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb73ae3afc12970752e8a923be01b8eff0803c51fc9cd4f02e0b0275e67f248d7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \x3a086f36ee9bebc00a91d714a22dee214503c63b4d1e4606b5ed0e73153dd8a4 op_cert_counter: 3