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 5257859 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 20054567 epoch_slot_no: 9767 block_no: 5257682 slot_leader_id: 4556049 size: 450 time: 2021-01-26 00:27:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb4d9642b25fd58ca2e296cdd8db98dec703cb3d4861c7c0f6296ceabcea50923Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1md23rugrrnl66ja45503p6vdmzvwqlflc8yhva877gxtln9sekgsx2ehap op_cert: \x554d457f1e91e442ec31af02abd77d6c0a4947a35c1d932b1c87e5603ae427bb op_cert_counter: 2