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 5243349 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19763906 epoch_slot_no: 151106 block_no: 5243172 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 3137 time: 2021-01-22 15:43:17 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8e8b66ea655b0a55c61cc86bb4e2d93f75177b4f5a494202df5545ee18a442f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \xf62b85b42ea77495f3458319127dafe15eb01fdbfb08f992ecc5aeac4c7765b9 op_cert_counter: 2