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 5269857 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20296787 epoch_slot_no: 251987 block_no: 5269680 slot_leader_id: 5086944 size: 726 time: 2021-01-28 19:44:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5ee403fa5211306d4f154c6c53a5d463f2ea175a5c476a32c1a0f3a6512175eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yrw00a2knfxwg6ju5fqu4pqnxkc4uedn35u43y3mcgm9m99s626qgugm8p op_cert: \xd33c407a259873dc5346b4e64b2c941ab7a1db7f96e237098aa030ca465108f1 op_cert_counter: 1