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 5285728 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 20617077 epoch_slot_no: 140277 block_no: 5285551 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 1369 time: 2021-02-01 12:42:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x130c977435907e152e1cdc41a530605723943658585a424ff4e06e15aea265bdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \x14b3bf6b41aaf3563a8d0b704bfcbdf7374b64f2eccdd5efc20f286921128761 op_cert_counter: 1