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 5260038 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20099549 epoch_slot_no: 54749 block_no: 5259861 slot_leader_id: 5152344 size: 1116 time: 2021-01-26 12:57:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xceef95f390df51ebfdcda57b6b689c3d54985d813ef2b01837e8e793cdf78399Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lpxqkprv75klqf07hsjly8qz9lpmmmpz7jm68dplr5xzcay87ewqzqml8u op_cert: \xcdedff39c42126b233510a9b3e4a273f8a8641065a5f6bfc4948b7d9000e9107 op_cert_counter: 1