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 5198252 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18856841 epoch_slot_no: 108041 block_no: 5198075 slot_leader_id: 4573799 size: 4774 time: 2021-01-12 03:45:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc78b63c4b10cc7093a22839574c3cc5aef70428d18e9758de9428fa6dbb7915Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p0r0r8enaa9fv40zc0hm9q92lpwd4glg2lgm7tg67zxaf5v075ssg8328n op_cert: \x34f665635371e2d4829d93c3afb489ae587e215be5919b89944cb1d38394e9cc op_cert_counter: 2