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 5242719 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19751422 epoch_slot_no: 138622 block_no: 5242542 slot_leader_id: 4571889 size: 2845 time: 2021-01-22 12:15:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9bda969017b971cba471d50a4414ce81b6ee45219577dc43dea02102dee999a8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10sfjs922rrnx85gj7c9hffpnp04azhrnnc9nghrdajtchl8r205q79ucp0 op_cert: \x9e3afeb2c959fe2fb11ffc0d0b3368a9ed4a20c689f5f60401aa5264bfae4909 op_cert_counter: 2