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 5242577 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 19748506 epoch_slot_no: 135706 block_no: 5242400 slot_leader_id: 5027344 size: 8753 time: 2021-01-22 11:26:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9a7e820af66dca72c21f16a9fc98c05fb0dba2d31e5119018db5a9750b496aebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1038jvydsxw53xul39j7zmyuxg9fuq4w53xcezywqpf5nxldydcwsj6mmjr op_cert: \xd367045a4190ef69bc9356d8cd3a8be4509ca1af00c88fc66de1f1e14b25eba7 op_cert_counter: 0