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 5260374 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 20106256 epoch_slot_no: 61456 block_no: 5260197 slot_leader_id: 5028556 size: 3757 time: 2021-01-26 14:49:07 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x644c16a46a5fcbd6d3e4391a3454ef5e505cd4573701519ff3b7ee4c13ec8161Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12kgnl55yud9wnjhrfjkpu5vgw6ahjeuepfyp83xaer9yhqejsutsxavpsn op_cert: \xbf291c9137aebc48429ccf33e00cd3b8151e4e80f83ffe8b4c6570186e972af9 op_cert_counter: 1