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 5234744 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19591788 epoch_slot_no: 410988 block_no: 5234567 slot_leader_id: 5026921 size: 1327 time: 2021-01-20 15:54:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb8522f40e663564191397536fafe41caf95338533eab0b0e0d2f7b33721470daBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vhuhnklefgj9xaw20kz2786anlqk3gy9ws0se5d85kx8x43z5ylqzvw79d op_cert: \x3fc1d8714b82c3c75f9a3d5b56f22dda337d6825b8583e5b10524a6fdb39a5a0 op_cert_counter: 1