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 5261898 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 20138329 epoch_slot_no: 93529 block_no: 5261721 slot_leader_id: 5023593 size: 743 time: 2021-01-26 23:43:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf26d52d74a84e4ff05db709e378b2a17ab5d1955df20489eaa245225af60b31eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lr4hgxp9rstc9ndaq0p0zcyfkfk3j73rg5qdryza79fp5ut3jyssn225y6 op_cert: \x462134b6528586097daffb8cccc7caeeb5d3d4c377cee5206f14e324f34b477d op_cert_counter: 0