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 5238508 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19666351 epoch_slot_no: 53551 block_no: 5238331 slot_leader_id: 4595854 size: 4034 time: 2021-01-21 12:37:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd0d9247ce8f65a9a7f77e07d44eb0baa4ef87e89ae9109e1992e4d1b21a97bbfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4ml366004vvzm25cutqk0x2jpftcxtf29kdmazvgzueal5wztyslf05tq op_cert: \xdcd2e6d4ea517794ebf62cc06a6c80a069b672f009cbc9cb4dc10d9e8fc1d787 op_cert_counter: 2