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 5257837 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 20054029 epoch_slot_no: 9229 block_no: 5257660 slot_leader_id: 5087583 size: 6779 time: 2021-01-26 00:18:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x06225194c2b22c5aedcd6e16a1cd3bde6cb02409e0c95d97ecd133a92d375b53Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177j9mzysf8ayzv5q3enrsxq38hde36uhaptc82a6q69pjkhsk40s4mjlgj op_cert: \xaaa75dfbb5b886be5d647cf8cec28523e3d54843efcb186858594e5c73117901 op_cert_counter: 1