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 5298257 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 20867086 epoch_slot_no: 390286 block_no: 5298080 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 3901 time: 2021-02-04 10:09:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40bccc84b29cf48158490d7e369562d57d08416db5cce090a06ee9e1600dcec2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \xa91aff9598a2c4f1089a219351312d7bec15b502596c97622d8a00a01ba5b789 op_cert_counter: 5