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 5242540 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19747849 epoch_slot_no: 135049 block_no: 5242363 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 2331 time: 2021-01-22 11:15:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbde6e2819b3a10591719721d651c77fda107b1b32dec57ded153308b86057c10Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x61b0dda3337a3f84af6c8f23df41991116845115cc03ef0ddf2f29d0939b5d9a op_cert_counter: 4