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 5261522 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 20130535 epoch_slot_no: 85735 block_no: 5261345 slot_leader_id: 4569295 size: 3318 time: 2021-01-26 21:33:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x30c551636e6e35b0c5ce9430cce0d5397e9172b817acd235d42568cb37f24e15Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qnxv35jp3y5k63pgrd0pxvyl9dpj44hsd9vdrs530m0rfwfs42wq395qjz op_cert: \xcbe43f9ca0a41d2811ce4fb816a3cabd9f83cbe10106afa2ce0bfc0af01d19ad op_cert_counter: 2