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 5240746 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19711922 epoch_slot_no: 99122 block_no: 5240569 slot_leader_id: 4685979 size: 7966 time: 2021-01-22 01:16:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x51958f04f1e74169e3e6f8c1000d857be3f8b13ed5fb0754f93b1b875a4582eaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk13plulf4sydw02mfz7fclhnvke3kdy7u4rkgwr0k3hglxkculmxzsjqerrs op_cert: \x19c43df5c78cf94a303ac909cddeedb290bccb4080317bde041dbb650384b4e5 op_cert_counter: 1