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 5238650 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 19669223 epoch_slot_no: 56423 block_no: 5238473 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 7107 time: 2021-01-21 13:25:14 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x72b660c780d3864f07e8ba8d8474176fad62987f06c7c753f4617ac08323e8d5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \x14b3bf6b41aaf3563a8d0b704bfcbdf7374b64f2eccdd5efc20f286921128761 op_cert_counter: 1