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 5258334 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 20063912 epoch_slot_no: 19112 block_no: 5258157 slot_leader_id: 4577258 size: 3040 time: 2021-01-26 03:03:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x09311ac23b1b1a9e694dce886ce9572a34143dcd9f5f851eae571e3d45cdc03aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qhfa2dr9m5whjr77pemfkt3cdcs53fqm3vk7d6fpugjgp74d7nysvcnwm2 op_cert: \x401ec6ff0e1b589c6ba07cc93fd337ddbfd7566e1d6df7596122245948cb4304 op_cert_counter: 2