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 5240659 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19710055 epoch_slot_no: 97255 block_no: 5240482 slot_leader_id: 5087245 size: 2531 time: 2021-01-22 00:45:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18c845baf4bcb1d802fa13eaaac7b59eb66406f75c5c3bbd7a525ea2a8f51e89Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1umxltv0096574dz8a5gme46jjre60tdtd769gl85v7shcu5j04jqfwmzrx op_cert: \x558e42126481f69c25dfae92390bee4c168eb8aad94f0a0a61ead79c2f9dc815 op_cert_counter: 1