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 5242742 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19751845 epoch_slot_no: 139045 block_no: 5242565 slot_leader_id: 4569197 size: 6266 time: 2021-01-22 12:22:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x80574481d7a38415757d39655315e6ad1a48ce3f9a139f823c860e506949905bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fu2vy36f5je5nz9qex83agkxqcs29kfwdty63hdm0vgwdzm2hvpqea7zl7 op_cert: \xea4149563f23f9a7345cba4e098061686d811d7d67402acb748f1783d8c6e909 op_cert_counter: 3