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 5266601 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 20231337 epoch_slot_no: 186537 block_no: 5266424 slot_leader_id: 5151038 size: 7187 time: 2021-01-28 01:33:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa1e05482f862ec1528d833886dc0cdf0830913ec46580dcedc7df8c213fac3e4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nl3vewgymva5mly6hwrg6xgek9c9yx8hxqv7gzcd00jkg32hutzs3ymh96 op_cert: \x39d2cbbbe321a071ca6cf2cb4d45c4dffaec05fc0394d029e62283a21ad9c3e7 op_cert_counter: 3