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 5234258 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19582479 epoch_slot_no: 401679 block_no: 5234081 slot_leader_id: 4562293 size: 309 time: 2021-01-20 13:19:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3978cc3ca8b12e8ade67ab259056288245f545ee9967e7f7b7151a35d2b48603Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk123rm6evmzlzs6qksv6p4dv62y8jevnctgcwnvvey24azpc5tq6eq2z4cv0 op_cert: \xda5cbbba56aa316e24882f795c12eba4a01b5145b8e4abd8f7251f7bcea6afa0 op_cert_counter: 3