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 5259098 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 20079951 epoch_slot_no: 35151 block_no: 5258921 slot_leader_id: 4588641 size: 1619 time: 2021-01-26 07:30:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa4d409db2c60bcd97d452e71a075f2819330d31cff6b0b1143957bc614e3ddd1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12ru93jt3xr5v2y9tevmgfuzxvckjxjy77nfjrvmc7nc6hgvg4leqysrpyq op_cert: \x416255b86c93dfef9b0c97c8012dc5836472274e147332a56da70306dafd3ce6 op_cert_counter: 1