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 5242903 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19754894 epoch_slot_no: 142094 block_no: 5242726 slot_leader_id: 5151766 size: 612 time: 2021-01-22 13:13:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbc0718bf4c7189bb7f8a0211e2ede0a509b781cd9e26a1f37c113fe96de5be69Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n3udrcvm9lv3lc3k2fds3rq3czwkzq8t8qlksyrpvqlalasjc28st9jeyz op_cert: \x803a12fbad58abcce5a80a2ce8769a89b2e8b419ed78f6acfbfdf362d8ea71d9 op_cert_counter: 0