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 5231408 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19524905 epoch_slot_no: 344105 block_no: 5231231 slot_leader_id: 4555427 size: 3723 time: 2021-01-19 21:19:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa266ef40793f879a21ec73df73f8470070ed5fd3f2e2d37b25d585d50d94ae9aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17w5znxxj6l3ru8q3tw450a8axsgkp65x3t53fpkvlhuwuc57zdpqlaaczd op_cert: \x2e8040cc4355178fd904b4e701cd665ea8d16d3294c3a4eadee4da0276c0830d op_cert_counter: 4