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 5197662 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18845257 epoch_slot_no: 96457 block_no: 5197485 slot_leader_id: 4981372 size: 426 time: 2021-01-12 00:32:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1983c1d688437368f145673b5dba8bfa53d75738906c910a14d8908522e36602Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zex6fy5atu7e7l5akzqqjvzn80valqdng56hta8p3uyvajyhuxpsd7f3v3 op_cert: \x9cc353152c2866de2b1757730acdb6e9e6b26d486fd9a21c70fb287b7162b75f op_cert_counter: 0