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 5238438 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19664916 epoch_slot_no: 52116 block_no: 5238261 slot_leader_id: 5087938 size: 936 time: 2021-01-21 12:13:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x97b800eb419de21e6204e8ff076ef9fc1c5de48a23b21f25081a945e3d425089Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12m0ahlxegk5uuh8s85luk9sdk52spu4lykh52wcl05qkkjeqtnws6ajwk5 op_cert: \xbbcd955ee037a990f03097e7d7483c9b0a228f55662c4902688cfc0a75c2c8ed op_cert_counter: 1