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 5240716 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19711402 epoch_slot_no: 98602 block_no: 5240539 slot_leader_id: 4555464 size: 1824 time: 2021-01-22 01:08:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x020586c83196828449303933e1636a4bf3a3876354728cfb370261dbf3acfceeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t39ch0g3yx7y03ajax26g4ht3slu5h36v38dk6d8qj4l4dc2a5yq3rk9gd op_cert: \xc5dc313bb5c960ddaa3e7f299889650ec619fa7c1df268ab9699539684610596 op_cert_counter: 1