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 5231498 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19526837 epoch_slot_no: 346037 block_no: 5231321 slot_leader_id: 4620808 size: 3698 time: 2021-01-19 21:52:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3e496cf8a74bb34927effd7aaf508bd434a5e0e0ae056c43eeb964b94cc0478aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpyj3hz9xwljv9c89w5vhk6kx9z3mc9drys6w9ya3nvd5347wzmsnuqmne op_cert: \x9041aa129eed89db46357e88042a277d2c6a14b4305f62ff2247f24cc916ad8d op_cert_counter: 3