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 5357821 Details
Epoch: 248 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 22069862 epoch_slot_no: 297062 block_no: 5357644 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 9233 time: 2021-02-18 08:15:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa260f1c8955595e77fb08378151b2ba55048812c6d01bcee592e58e6a5c6ffd5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \xa91aff9598a2c4f1089a219351312d7bec15b502596c97622d8a00a01ba5b789 op_cert_counter: 5