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 5197353 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18839217 epoch_slot_no: 90417 block_no: 5197176 slot_leader_id: 5065563 size: 2655 time: 2021-01-11 22:51:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xef2d25db311188649fa8e62dd8fcd4bec9951db1e32788bbb538195fae17ea20Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lycttp5zrt79d2jz4nay0z2ku70rw4zpe0dlvrw3y53n63rw454s954w0d op_cert: \x30d9dbd6e353ffb2282aa38ee126ccc1f10f7f5b225cb9c9a71ac6229305e1fe op_cert_counter: 1