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 5231594 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19528921 epoch_slot_no: 348121 block_no: 5231417 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 978 time: 2021-01-19 22:26:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x749e4eb080eee1af85d21638d8c5c38e8842cb855c16a3b26fa2417309217cc1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \xec8c0404d09118ab8c109e48217954ac9626d3e9a482a12d498d0d3397fb34d5 op_cert_counter: 1