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 5278238 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 20464090 epoch_slot_no: 419290 block_no: 5278061 slot_leader_id: 4938703 size: 3221 time: 2021-01-30 18:13:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6882feeefaf4430a0ecc63fb3d61a418fe0e5a160eafca2166c44d22eebc8ee2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l5ep7td55ptk98y02sf6nv9xldmhsx29qvcgsuajym9cqha47egqsseda9 op_cert: \x4aa286509fb1720756fafb3e0a42c2086e352d975f41c00c3ff514c6b3b6d3e5 op_cert_counter: 1