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 5242976 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19756261 epoch_slot_no: 143461 block_no: 5242799 slot_leader_id: 4555592 size: 2428 time: 2021-01-22 13:35:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb1dea7a7e65b0065822c975a50a75bdcbb4da88fb00b4e49788cca7355ead4deBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h0ervlcy4sz6ypa32wly3x995nmeh3j3ngfl739ezjx40s9mvurqptqy7u op_cert: \xf37d881b7f05aa11d15a3b12e49e7650c274db255bbc75544353b97ce646b6d4 op_cert_counter: 5