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 5342598 Details
Epoch: 247 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 21760321 epoch_slot_no: 419521 block_no: 5342421 slot_leader_id: 4597301 size: 6470 time: 2021-02-14 18:16:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x826120c7eee42a911c35a77661eb970fcb683be8020b11aed464ddffb3144ce9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vm9kj3cashz6p0vlawhmkawm699zekyzqv6pcv0nsmsu4ce3wrrstq5c40 op_cert: \x34a197265f7d0fe0d6d4292eac0cc46bd66053f6c1eb11655c811093a6127dc1 op_cert_counter: 5