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 5423898 Details
Epoch: 251 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 23411661 epoch_slot_no: 342861 block_no: 5423721 slot_leader_id: 4558666 size: 1941 time: 2021-03-05 20:59:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x62803682ad097e6b8cd22ef62b5881f40d56eeee4faaa1a823e37a35ea038c7aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s3hssxtpjdjc9amqn9wqn6dfyzujsv8jrk6pkl4esfpp99v48ujsflsn70 op_cert: \xbd8783a6dc9a798d82adbcd669c7a885e7561c4c74561a835b90a1314375acf9 op_cert_counter: 3