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 5230635 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19509065 epoch_slot_no: 328265 block_no: 5230458 slot_leader_id: 4751720 size: 4090 time: 2021-01-19 16:55:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb0ea72b0a456fa98115d6dd74c309f0e0f597676bc58b36231544284f1cc14c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pz650u9866w7t790lngkfsvqkna6360v8lk43t3cyy0y8az3pk9qgr2u9f op_cert: \x38395f120233b59d4c81940b8cd79a892954c2349d518f5be5f4d77365f2e251 op_cert_counter: 1