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 5242418 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19745570 epoch_slot_no: 132770 block_no: 5242241 slot_leader_id: 4576881 size: 2740 time: 2021-01-22 10:37:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfb348624872b1512534f37ba32d00cae260e109b57a8a4fac1f53cecc2033bbfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12985ww0m8m62c9swggnwnf36h38vc9jjd4mdvtcu3suuyvfcw97swhgdv8 op_cert: \x7636d0cd12375a46117e6a0f752e6a87130103e2a79a859a929e4abd7533cf95 op_cert_counter: 2