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 5260888 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20116617 epoch_slot_no: 71817 block_no: 5260711 slot_leader_id: 4619607 size: 572 time: 2021-01-26 17:41:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x57d408f31ed36c5205b7b717d3e37149b449fca83cfb3ed0f61e3100d5bfeeefBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zdjft57kdwnxyyq0m8aspy27tnq72jwdqd48p2x72tl0x24zhutq993f6p op_cert: \x233a9827a0d0c436b4cc451c7fa9a7220a662d9cd51953ac3e82bec91481cc8b op_cert_counter: 3