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 5197148 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18834948 epoch_slot_no: 86148 block_no: 5196971 slot_leader_id: 4992553 size: 2306 time: 2021-01-11 21:40:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9708bbcfb212f7a60af5b169a60a1b47f97af9bd5ada17593096ac1ffc50e4dbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ypzw9zfrm5mupcffxgewr3ywg8r2y6gnfrxy3kkyeu6ujx4vdqkqasuaeg op_cert: \xc4b169aec4b9caefa0594214cf2db6b611ed1469f3801e840b3d23daeddc8f22 op_cert_counter: 2