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 5238428 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19664761 epoch_slot_no: 51961 block_no: 5238251 slot_leader_id: 5150767 size: 1615 time: 2021-01-21 12:10:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x24574c1d970909ccf4cb907a13d97883121e7266d05aea700848236783af81eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1azdclg750qyp9n2yp2ps4m0kf68sswccg4k5e0g7vjtcgwzlerkqs6sp0y op_cert: \xbd767aa0582043d7ff2fb41843e8d6245c0c96be011829b221a031731c736dbd op_cert_counter: 1