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 5342494 Details
Epoch: 247 Number of transactions in block: 25 slot_no: 21757997 epoch_slot_no: 417197 block_no: 5342317 slot_leader_id: 4861365 size: 13750 time: 2021-02-14 17:38:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7d31e9e52ded92ce06a3c7ded9c30b9c08d4b55d7b4c07a02c28886c54edc3cbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xswwqk02nw7s779ks8huxaf34hhjy7vlzxhfh7y426xj0pddmhwqfrmc27 op_cert: \x9f6feaf94bc0beb1a1f0b8e171b16b2dc3ab473ce4c458e11c58080bab038ca5 op_cert_counter: 1