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 5261286 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20125425 epoch_slot_no: 80625 block_no: 5261109 slot_leader_id: 4583203 size: 535 time: 2021-01-26 20:08:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec7e5f99fe53fc554e703e36a47f08cd478b541e36cd1c707733f645f218f8bbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yu4mjf8q5nqdzzpu5whjc0u5eesxdct685sk6gyxuzztfgpzy44skl3035 op_cert: \xf3657aa453c45e12c2155def935e551bef583611b761d5d18231c64a4c152d15 op_cert_counter: 1