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 5288581 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 20674999 epoch_slot_no: 198199 block_no: 5288404 slot_leader_id: 4581183 size: 677 time: 2021-02-02 04:48:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xae42fb835594135d17405cf61a812b15d3aa939773c0e287d76d83c4a6aa4985Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1996zz82a0vpw9tdarvjs64prxaukc7fh7h4064mduuj4nclyzmcsmhm5ut op_cert: \x4cd20c48864beaf232e0af7dd9875122fd42e1bdd59292a8282998ec17c14c98 op_cert_counter: 3