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 5234571 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19588465 epoch_slot_no: 407665 block_no: 5234394 slot_leader_id: 4570972 size: 2387 time: 2021-01-20 14:59:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x359adba8a037ea6c05a2aae42f350aef91aaa8118961ac5ff9dcb242d029cf98Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17h2w9n2e7nvwjexlykmkvhhq2f95vrxjxc2kxqwxp93u5jhs58wsrj0328 op_cert: \xbfa0f94f7f80f6a1b8f9140e87913e2d37d7efe1b3340252efe103fe1d6df776 op_cert_counter: 2