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 5242691 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19750894 epoch_slot_no: 138094 block_no: 5242514 slot_leader_id: 4583203 size: 1709 time: 2021-01-22 12:06:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1963f6f9f4c1c5c76a7c1ee427e76432136b76f3e43097b720ffcd93a4f0f039Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yu4mjf8q5nqdzzpu5whjc0u5eesxdct685sk6gyxuzztfgpzy44skl3035 op_cert: \xf3657aa453c45e12c2155def935e551bef583611b761d5d18231c64a4c152d15 op_cert_counter: 1