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 5359949 Details
Epoch: 248 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 22113367 epoch_slot_no: 340567 block_no: 5359772 slot_leader_id: 4557401 size: 1590 time: 2021-02-18 20:20:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe205fa429f9818ed5a83a55407c0fc65a5a1e63b3d6265eee94b46d2ff3703a1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1m3gs8np7hsw3lrcwrfgvl2c2dsmrdysdmnwlndpyu5x4mwqumpqsx8582a op_cert: \xe8b3fb68eb9e9562ba1116107ab639011b99fad41790cd9056229cec48ad613d op_cert_counter: 6