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 5240714 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 19711301 epoch_slot_no: 98501 block_no: 5240537 slot_leader_id: 4574351 size: 10910 time: 2021-01-22 01:06:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6936598e392898f343c4ec7706ad305c63dbc909174df1c99f6c62d8d8687114Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qtwqlzlxyft2du85rjkdktysg7t690tvz04k3hy4nhdd333atfxqgvd7ax op_cert: \x70e0bf61f895f01981ff49194798879aa2f2c67297851e84dfdc825bd2da4951 op_cert_counter: 4