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 5235258 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19602041 epoch_slot_no: 421241 block_no: 5235081 slot_leader_id: 4557937 size: 3118 time: 2021-01-20 18:45:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x91e1619648f7e5a09bcd39b5d4a0b52f4500b7b8d4d5c9c0305fd3505bc2bf7eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z3qaj95vx6mhmzcj63c7f9v4am60fhlz55w5m26wk4nnl0tfc33q4s5h8m op_cert: \xc8feecd8122d2567e942bbe4cde08368eb74b52c3e84a699344454e2748edd96 op_cert_counter: 3