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 5238573 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19667620 epoch_slot_no: 54820 block_no: 5238396 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 426 time: 2021-01-21 12:58:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc0856a580fc287efd6b6f82fd5e5241b425315b1548365898f4bf7b266c8846cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \xec8c0404d09118ab8c109e48217954ac9626d3e9a482a12d498d0d3397fb34d5 op_cert_counter: 1