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 5236697 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19630294 epoch_slot_no: 17494 block_no: 5236520 slot_leader_id: 4557324 size: 5336 time: 2021-01-21 02:36:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2c201166ea48a48096a5d3eed62666619b4c9c31fbc4102eef85167d75a2b1e2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1skdrf0m3zwdl5udrvfjuwhe72qau4wnv552c7ttmsqvw0uu6hgcqw3h20c op_cert: \xeafd35858cc3dbee4bf88d234a4888daba248db1b09fc102867f5be3f74e7736 op_cert_counter: 2