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 5257845 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 20054259 epoch_slot_no: 9459 block_no: 5257668 slot_leader_id: 5087583 size: 5403 time: 2021-01-26 00:22:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe618043702a10af7ef8020f528daf7e0c6d149eced8b9c096f25ef2731f6ce6aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177j9mzysf8ayzv5q3enrsxq38hde36uhaptc82a6q69pjkhsk40s4mjlgj op_cert: \xaaa75dfbb5b886be5d647cf8cec28523e3d54843efcb186858594e5c73117901 op_cert_counter: 1