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 5238752 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 19671351 epoch_slot_no: 58551 block_no: 5238575 slot_leader_id: 4564259 size: 15062 time: 2021-01-21 14:00:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9885c14964141efb4d87a78e294203b1d5b2d7a85d44996201489dfebf65359Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gdvfyt2slq5gjh8qw6u83t693uh5u8au6cgyjzk5p8v5tmp7qzpqztxpq6 op_cert: \xc5f4dabcb6020ef6ae831f830b247a390ebb6883466e8b62e2a165c7aaed36e7 op_cert_counter: 2