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 6242997 Details
Epoch: 290 Number of transactions in block: 31 slot_no: 40055010 epoch_slot_no: 138210 block_no: 6242820 slot_leader_id: 4556762 size: 22395 time: 2021-09-14 12:08:21 proto_major: 5 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5a539e285c5960f85dca1a3f3ef76d7ba763260e9cc35ad3f64c3a6ae0e86479Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6htw3vtc0mk0kcynlv783jahpwjgvvhl7hgwy3nje79n0k5sqzscy5045 op_cert: \x44139f67aa340a7f6fcb64ff858989464cac97bb75dfe6e52987d756b43eba89 op_cert_counter: 9