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 5230308 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 19502732 epoch_slot_no: 321932 block_no: 5230131 slot_leader_id: 4563470 size: 4962 time: 2021-01-19 15:10:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2e757420336099c6b5f431432d0c2950171a21fbf0e98601f8aee8821abbf655Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fmkjgjt7t50p49zn0gul8eca0kjuk6kgpc0k6ka2jk5ndq2znu2qh8n508 op_cert: \x346d89b702cd9f8c31d9c51eb017ab932c86d4c91f6114b4a40b9fc4c0ff69d9 op_cert_counter: 2