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 5242830 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19753709 epoch_slot_no: 140909 block_no: 5242653 slot_leader_id: 4630714 size: 9849 time: 2021-01-22 12:53:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe869f0f90734565dc8b5b27658e8ea973e6dcc05ca4581b6168341a702f423c8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1z5frlx5466kaftn2lp3ejcv27t4q5v2c2nw23mg9dufkvwqa2ghsd8k55k op_cert: \x5105c862001678b5702a2381584e6aff012733f48c32fb39d198fa5cc11165af op_cert_counter: 1