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 5234978 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19596511 epoch_slot_no: 415711 block_no: 5234801 slot_leader_id: 4938729 size: 1712 time: 2021-01-20 17:13:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe632e251d8a47ef8c3fb71f74f085418b01f0de9ea224195988d6c71b45e033aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1670vkvcqzzau3vnl4c57tjjl4m07kz9gnv9gh6ksguqnvm042ljqk626nl op_cert: \x8695c8b4a5f7b4ea4744b6f74c79d9b44897c7c8e4dd73a95931360fb0bffd9c op_cert_counter: 1