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 5240657 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 10 slot_no: 19709993 epoch_slot_no: 97193 block_no: 5240480 slot_leader_id: 4999145 size: 4851 time: 2021-01-22 00:44:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x768c3b72d429bfea5b2837a64e507fc73352dce90474c3dbf95fc29a5505fe31Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk144pftauqzx94fq3a7mlhphnkk5gdydvm8xsl8r9s6977cf2hkutsmmvevr op_cert: \x4e2b061701c61aea145434d30d64a41cacc9e13624443c9902b7cdf3cdba6640 op_cert_counter: 2