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 5232598 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19549168 epoch_slot_no: 368368 block_no: 5232421 slot_leader_id: 4557082 size: 6337 time: 2021-01-20 04:04:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8f0f5068706f887bf48103043c7c88b079f068ab52916ef9cc273e4c0a4dcb36Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1456sdcf4f4r5fh6f8eymppxkvqahxetd7ygflj09vs6xwgpq2wdqddnd34 op_cert: \x1f7820d71ae71bdb89093d7779eed0e1e5d17df6b26159601807b7350290b8b2 op_cert_counter: 1