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 5230517 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19506918 epoch_slot_no: 326118 block_no: 5230340 slot_leader_id: 4961402 size: 2317 time: 2021-01-19 16:20:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x392188049110241eab315124cf5a998b9770755dcbd533a1dcc91f59ade949baBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f063au5fjd35833vp3zgs67y3xp2e9tjwkaz6dsx2z5u0pskc4fq7hc96n op_cert: \x3d5c8e9a5441f15e01dcc5eaff19249f46d6e3be29eaf9eca39df32d4c7eb419 op_cert_counter: 0