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 5342073 Details
Epoch: 247 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 21749836 epoch_slot_no: 409036 block_no: 5341896 slot_leader_id: 4561122 size: 8054 time: 2021-02-14 15:22:07 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x23c8752c87889194841dbf4a5dff697d21835acf5ec285c0f4f98afca8058cf9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16v34trhgsmwpp8st57htgt952f8wv6duy0w0nlcrksfkmzhljprshp0q6d op_cert: \x9be72212243044f20e1f31ade6bc03e110df2f1225f1d3c9e796f72a9f9b58d1 op_cert_counter: 2