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 5299857 Details
Epoch: 245 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 20898319 epoch_slot_no: 421519 block_no: 5299680 slot_leader_id: 4938751 size: 17657 time: 2021-02-04 18:50:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd1c8e4316d69ddcd7cda297a3beeb5d7d7a110dfcc609756a09ab3fe5cd379e9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmlhe3pfglnvkcquwemp0d5fkxqdxzhmgydymnu3afm6k4hmk8rsws27e5 op_cert: \x6b1b447b42b4a668ba3e2cf375fd1184d59f37eb12d2bb161ab7dac8cfa2d147 op_cert_counter: 1