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 5209734 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19087107 epoch_slot_no: 338307 block_no: 5209557 slot_leader_id: 5087193 size: 990 time: 2021-01-14 19:43:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc73fcbb262bd5abd2920f703ee95be4645d907065e5ee0e9fa4eb8705ecc15cfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14p6tka7qnk64zaq6mwwlxdsdd3fksg5eaytcz36fx5dlj6uk5e0q7huv6w op_cert: \x202d9a8a0c004b4940c78918bcdf24ea99a7a94877f8c7336c1c1fc4ab82c287 op_cert_counter: 1