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 5241695 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19730994 epoch_slot_no: 118194 block_no: 5241518 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 2660 time: 2021-01-22 06:34:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3301bae43af41f2bc47958685c19d2df2cca5ba2824d011217164d509e822ba1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \xea4149563f23f9a7345cba4e098061686d811d7d67402acb748f1783d8c6e909 op_cert_counter: 3