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 5242217 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19741416 epoch_slot_no: 128616 block_no: 5242040 slot_leader_id: 4579217 size: 6426 time: 2021-01-22 09:28:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4f4b6bbeee3cc2f22702401955a09a32039e8dcbaddb0608d158fec64e204ca1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1trdfnnnuj79ajwca3mpfsevuutw2rhyg8f5qxxlx6542lz6azx6qvz5rs0 op_cert: \x941c7b089a07c2d5f1eefbf3ffcb03f38f0153d142c54fc5c36a813c6a45ee19 op_cert_counter: 1