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 5235457 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19605997 epoch_slot_no: 425197 block_no: 5235280 slot_leader_id: 5151309 size: 5499 time: 2021-01-20 19:51:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1857653a710e6f3772b0ac1843a3b24fbe1bbb9d99402795a1cd2aabf867dfaaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qat6e9k0yg042293ayfefvq4ttcs84etfr7lq4jujevlgy98js0szzg7sh op_cert: \xdb635ef62af02f79cac5fba98c038048f8796aae9ae653f0285f795d04e2c0e7 op_cert_counter: 0