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 5240613 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19709038 epoch_slot_no: 96238 block_no: 5240436 slot_leader_id: 4555427 size: 4410 time: 2021-01-22 00:28:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x44f49291e6f43e046c9197d9ea44174c64a322523768b4eab6d7eac586b4df03Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17w5znxxj6l3ru8q3tw450a8axsgkp65x3t53fpkvlhuwuc57zdpqlaaczd op_cert: \x2e8040cc4355178fd904b4e701cd665ea8d16d3294c3a4eadee4da0276c0830d op_cert_counter: 4