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 5197558 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18843380 epoch_slot_no: 94580 block_no: 5197381 slot_leader_id: 4985597 size: 1987 time: 2021-01-12 00:01:11 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbbde2384486e614d620e3be1a1222b32543633e01c920c3e3b7d6f58acc4d48fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jch9qlh5y5cu57pcxhqx2vegdsakuccyqnlxn8fsmlkkem47navq6kun2u op_cert: \x0a18a45c735a628c0cc2652d4b54850c9f2b2b6096d928acac037232b29f9757 op_cert_counter: 0