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 5240680 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19710506 epoch_slot_no: 97706 block_no: 5240503 slot_leader_id: 5152904 size: 4220 time: 2021-01-22 00:53:17 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3aff61b4db00f36774bb30d43fb8c1e3744a8a1efb1d79a216ec3b61a59ca921Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pqsnv96072nq89pjw6wkyj6qw4qrw7v7qs6ak7y8aah7w4htdauq8syga5 op_cert: \x07469b1243efa359a2da641cfbf8337e27846df96cfdf5d630e2ae43aed31b73 op_cert_counter: 1