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 5261431 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 20128637 epoch_slot_no: 83837 block_no: 5261254 slot_leader_id: 5153170 size: 5652 time: 2021-01-26 21:02:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xaa914c04cea523aa3bb32429bfac05c45449b746ed6bc14dceee4cc204ea35d8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t4z0yj73jcllp9zv800jcwp0szw9jhh53f3rfs0zgvcjfqfdy43sa5q9u3 op_cert: \x4655c4ebfd0833972461d0246362b0ee2562fd44e246f972ea04a95a598518bc op_cert_counter: 1