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 5198574 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18863399 epoch_slot_no: 114599 block_no: 5198397 slot_leader_id: 4555520 size: 2053 time: 2021-01-12 05:34:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3fbdc4ce9068069bceaa242aeeacafc23dd63a84bd2d7f204db87b3c7d48d0b6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w7d6wrmwnmv967fwczseale2mp9d8e977mfc8x0gc3um7nadj9fqvkecw6 op_cert: \x2b01ef794e28b8ab478a22940d2cc4bc50e689bd006fdc90b5dc0d18107e8398 op_cert_counter: 4