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 5238821 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19672798 epoch_slot_no: 59998 block_no: 5238644 slot_leader_id: 4556351 size: 7197 time: 2021-01-21 14:24:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x347bb3e5e8355ac81b37d851ed6aca8477577f8b1183b4dc2d0562ee23381fe0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpf2x74q4rz5ypeekn4vx7rnddfygwjg2mgkukmgque84c7dhyxqgz7zas op_cert: \xc0355c1c380eaca343b46f14dd0d62e3d8db9c1491e6dd0c10b3dd2e3dc062e7 op_cert_counter: 10