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 5240843 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 19714072 epoch_slot_no: 101272 block_no: 5240666 slot_leader_id: 4556120 size: 4638 time: 2021-01-22 01:52:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8a41436d94dc6e866107f4e64ac251925e49efe4d4f99cb6fc042b341671f870Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1uns88afgczrqp975sadn4m4ss9ca4kq5n3ue2fu3wst9vj2yqvqqvu6zkw op_cert: \x27cbbb81efa5a1593a4419a8a939cb63d644f83a490deaa4580571426c921d20 op_cert_counter: 2