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 5231608 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19529117 epoch_slot_no: 348317 block_no: 5231431 slot_leader_id: 5151376 size: 2755 time: 2021-01-19 22:30:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6cdcd7b6252e000418ecbf337e061d48a3b41686404778774ec7898277f804aaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wrnnrqlkk26laxw7tx3jnrujdphy7vy808nrmmglrj4gqqj5wehql0v640 op_cert: \x86b7a01f9f5b993306c3404812aa4b357ead9d9b2576111fb01e14f3eebc05d3 op_cert_counter: 2