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 5242996 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 19756649 epoch_slot_no: 143849 block_no: 5242819 slot_leader_id: 4609503 size: 6008 time: 2021-01-22 13:42:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcdf7d62639c2e4504cd9d9b7417d5188a5ba22c28b5d7bc64e96cc8c6bd84aa4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14n7udujh4mljhelknpxmkupq9n64uzzvdstnuqfqslxy9h47fq3q2hnxsk op_cert: \x82fc80de027b73398f135be4f075b4d96d832a2bfbf6377bd9f03188ff9b23bc op_cert_counter: 2