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 5242804 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 19753085 epoch_slot_no: 140285 block_no: 5242627 slot_leader_id: 4490691 size: 6191 time: 2021-01-22 12:42:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd85dc2e0a6afc5c6c32ad6c6417b49a85f654c85558204676bc1b0c36ee9cc8aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f8d5uguzjzvmnwpu7cfx0x3eq4umsmqkdqk4m0w4ftsk07h9e99sxnsyzn op_cert: \xc2ba43457ef711a4dad9c19a540014dedfdaa27d13773857524a631613b42029 op_cert_counter: 1