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 5236730 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 19630987 epoch_slot_no: 18187 block_no: 5236553 slot_leader_id: 4555569 size: 5550 time: 2021-01-21 02:47:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa27ce3a6bf98511973eb4ce79bec21ff55a8f2aade81cf3376ec4eaca4e6de14Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c49e80jptd8pkmgrj8g3xex3rfd0xw0xwp88c3fpz9jjcmfu7xtswwzll8 op_cert: \x26aa99052c03483024984e4b2f99d0972276f473487d62b5c594589534a007b8 op_cert_counter: 4