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 5231561 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19528238 epoch_slot_no: 347438 block_no: 5231384 slot_leader_id: 4800590 size: 2821 time: 2021-01-19 22:15:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0d8c00912b3efb1591615a6b8447ca534ab37ec7a8c95e19ad702dd4fecabc3aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jxmg2pqe0ak2fvnumwux9sgthz4pyk3p5g7r43v7x6uyszgmr33qsjl357 op_cert: \xa73cdb9f512f7c672e29486a817323bd67a4c9cc297139c1b40e6a380b573815 op_cert_counter: 2