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 5238834 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19673115 epoch_slot_no: 60315 block_no: 5238657 slot_leader_id: 5150783 size: 3340 time: 2021-01-21 14:30:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdaec3d806a923cdc6bc0ba890f356b575b8070635b6f951546fe80d391864f4dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk137t5pjh25r79yfmm746s430zp3mu7dl7dvgd2rgjectju7qm5juq5p6e5e op_cert: \x5e511ed56917ee0adc1f03dc7085feb74239fff1b82a8cd078b5a1fecb155331 op_cert_counter: 1