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 5286617 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 20634872 epoch_slot_no: 158072 block_no: 5286440 slot_leader_id: 4557324 size: 5583 time: 2021-02-01 17:39:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8668781491042f4fc35e34d23e22830017c3cb266a85701722042d17cacccb65Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1skdrf0m3zwdl5udrvfjuwhe72qau4wnv552c7ttmsqvw0uu6hgcqw3h20c op_cert: \xeafd35858cc3dbee4bf88d234a4888daba248db1b09fc102867f5be3f74e7736 op_cert_counter: 2