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 5240371 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 19704411 epoch_slot_no: 91611 block_no: 5240194 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 10206 time: 2021-01-21 23:11:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x728405340c6310b561d51859ad81c6e53299fe50e95dc0c77ed31ed7555c69edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \x9cc353152c2866de2b1757730acdb6e9e6b26d486fd9a21c70fb287b7162b75f op_cert_counter: 0