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 5357294 Details
Epoch: 248 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 22060399 epoch_slot_no: 287599 block_no: 5357117 slot_leader_id: 4992149 size: 5141 time: 2021-02-18 05:38:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8e98b0d732ca8d9a5d7bbd81be799fd48a6d92f26294ab5ca648a23ab8beceaaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hh2vcr5y8pxvhk7g7zg5x4eavsxn3crpp0cgxl5cshpcp5c24ypsl4umdp op_cert: \xf8a0477c49b672a4edb8af2e1688d50b7f97e6be9f6684ca10ff59252f9c0013 op_cert_counter: 2