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 5242096 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19738888 epoch_slot_no: 126088 block_no: 5241919 slot_leader_id: 4593560 size: 737 time: 2021-01-22 08:46:19 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x38c1371dfffcb1f98c90bfe2d7bca65f189794fc58412e520159a4966a2abfdfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ggwfsd8e8n2z46z6t660zkl3k8vg5yh07rcuhue6xq9lfl2vhscqmnehd4 op_cert: \x17bb4e3efe40133319d4529a05ad9c40ca07736453ef3ff1ce768190e917db16 op_cert_counter: 1