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 5234842 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19593591 epoch_slot_no: 412791 block_no: 5234665 slot_leader_id: 4651219 size: 5618 time: 2021-01-20 16:24:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3f08178c18ce28156e672812b16cbb943af75e77d015c26eb51f4272e67539aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lm7kz76vpgnvj8jy9wftkna7aa8jw8c993f869xf30u2yp5p6ttqrlq7nm op_cert: \x36f4fd62b7c7865611169d86562d425e7bf59d9c36f479e7510d5d16744a0188 op_cert_counter: 2