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 5242262 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19742438 epoch_slot_no: 129638 block_no: 5242085 slot_leader_id: 4557143 size: 1902 time: 2021-01-22 09:45:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x722c43065e16850dd040d8e815030e6d2826abb5a2b984a847fb9d329e897c98Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10hj5paw809p7hv482x8nkdplpjdnt8kz8hnvef7798638au89lxqcuw7l7 op_cert: \x9bf6413381463abab790ca6c0c54c4c5c4ebdbe5775068969138e60d66d1258d op_cert_counter: 2