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 5278773 Details
Epoch: 244 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 20474425 epoch_slot_no: 429625 block_no: 5278596 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 381 time: 2021-01-30 21:05:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3b3d37e15c5f0a1d8b689506aabaa0992206a8358ad4608264fc85701ea2d49bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \xec8c0404d09118ab8c109e48217954ac9626d3e9a482a12d498d0d3397fb34d5 op_cert_counter: 1