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 5230516 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19506912 epoch_slot_no: 326112 block_no: 5230339 slot_leader_id: 5150848 size: 2655 time: 2021-01-19 16:20:03 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf24c90b4d10a258e53e0e74ca00f3f428f75f63b015f52cb403838de7e6fb691Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sdxhalxpdmgxaczrut9mfjcxy2a2t4psyj3rcstdgq73c5taafmqyp5725 op_cert: \x98453fcd9b1b878e0b1d56d8a0350e541f19adf9849bc3e073f321b176393540 op_cert_counter: 1