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 5242879 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19754497 epoch_slot_no: 141697 block_no: 5242702 slot_leader_id: 4555892 size: 6071 time: 2021-01-22 13:06:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4c34fd6695060fcc0ba88a640dfba64f153818070afb306f184c895936b17b51Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pgcwdc0qvw7ejcrlqhxltpv5qrk4s8l8n3f64z8kjkaep6pqyljsxe7272 op_cert: \x61b0dda3337a3f84af6c8f23df41991116845115cc03ef0ddf2f29d0939b5d9a op_cert_counter: 4