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 5308638 Details
Epoch: 246 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 21075748 epoch_slot_no: 166948 block_no: 5308461 slot_leader_id: 5178031 size: 4857 time: 2021-02-06 20:07:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe1612adcab2032f7bb3c534d1099739bca1b5eb76192c4559299bce828d516d5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ctdcj6fktek9xru35snfgsydx7asaary855rp4m68p4v7a5c9ensj9qmfm op_cert: \x2837b8e7f221f04ec74c92cca3413f8cc649da401d42bb2bf67de3b752b1c90a op_cert_counter: 3