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 5204631 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18985197 epoch_slot_no: 236397 block_no: 5204454 slot_leader_id: 4597301 size: 764 time: 2021-01-13 15:24:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x287026d9a68c5f7e581bab3ac45ca12771871f87239d1304d347b4d351b42b1cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vm9kj3cashz6p0vlawhmkawm699zekyzqv6pcv0nsmsu4ce3wrrstq5c40 op_cert: \x6712e7a28e39af9cb031b20bb0c914d750c8eaff9817f41aa1e2b66187e3b172 op_cert_counter: 1