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 5285542 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 20613128 epoch_slot_no: 136328 block_no: 5285365 slot_leader_id: 4558271 size: 5014 time: 2021-02-01 11:36:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98a8e53a40201fa0d3dfafcba7d3906811c94625a1c49aa7f5963b884aa307b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fn9xu98lfxkgtekf96jwwthjep8malux73nppnjuzrafrz93e58staxe85 op_cert: \xe4e51cfd9e1ffccef3da77c7011b851f6d0ea9f7a411afb47e5f99ac16afb740 op_cert_counter: 4