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 5240243 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19701727 epoch_slot_no: 88927 block_no: 5240066 slot_leader_id: 5086977 size: 6932 time: 2021-01-21 22:26:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x597416b9ff440a287d6efc4307b8ee2df4033cb35279f826ee2280ca34ed75e1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1msq9dpva95my3cyhtfaje2hyt9mt2m4dzphpjsfs6dqhjn0ltevse3upet op_cert: \x2eb65b3d36f382473dcf0fa2e2f8403bf283aca3eabac97eed665e1962f8f1f6 op_cert_counter: 1