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 5240685 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19710606 epoch_slot_no: 97806 block_no: 5240508 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 1666 time: 2021-01-22 00:54:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x62431a398243e03918803196eb47fd2322cfce030a02b5673087641dcf595c7eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \x60cf8a54049d3d4eae26b1133997e8217abd9db533059c699891e4e3d3d35c0b op_cert_counter: 2