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 5240697 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 19710791 epoch_slot_no: 97991 block_no: 5240520 slot_leader_id: 5152757 size: 15130 time: 2021-01-22 00:58:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x11abaed76ee4992a32b5b4373c62460f449824dac0fd97353a6f3ef896791dbeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hj70x993rze9mhsgj8dvee0vcsx2vxqns92yysnfqueueulwnheqkq0246 op_cert: \x14b3bf6b41aaf3563a8d0b704bfcbdf7374b64f2eccdd5efc20f286921128761 op_cert_counter: 1