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 5243638 Details
Epoch: 243 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19769570 epoch_slot_no: 156770 block_no: 5243461 slot_leader_id: 5233559 size: 2913 time: 2021-01-22 17:17:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3cd4a58e49bb7ee73d8aaebfd216a5d6b1367a7ce7fb7b4f27397241103c8a4dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x26vzuykasg47gq3mqjq3z2gjvd4e38usx4n6lenuseqn6nuw47ssge7w3 op_cert: \xf4e06f3e5502d697fc1491f758e1c5d5f2af6fa91f76622d9d3ae33d82192f1c op_cert_counter: 0