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 5242627 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19749615 epoch_slot_no: 136815 block_no: 5242450 slot_leader_id: 5063926 size: 6764 time: 2021-01-22 11:45:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7208c055f2b5a0e744fc3567c209d9bbe6cb7456293597ad74b322e225780ff8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ecyeq8gg3r007ualzq6f6ulwa8e7ze86w9qz40gkjjrl7ca5v7rqkuj2v4 op_cert: \x5526769e57ea24702e8f8c4073d546d3fe6cdca252a2992cda94d2080d979647 op_cert_counter: 8