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 5196417 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18820123 epoch_slot_no: 71323 block_no: 5196240 slot_leader_id: 5065959 size: 435 time: 2021-01-11 17:33:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe9e4b70f5ea22af812d8d617aa33e85a7b3804e974195c0f3ed141dfc36e16c1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9qrmed96sxkttr88uhg8u9dxa79rwhrppy75ea588r9c6t29q7q2zyu74 op_cert: \x017943b504dbd8067fb5915bbade5a2ba4e57c90c78796b6694badfede6606cc op_cert_counter: 0