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 5198778 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18867710 epoch_slot_no: 118910 block_no: 5198601 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 7003 time: 2021-01-12 06:46:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1cb6648f8072cd43ffb5e377b2f5ee739f595cee6db6075b4d5ac2aaeab5ddf7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \xb78fc7962c1a716929404cc2aea447fe4f4c6250e24cb1a39565f49877acc645 op_cert_counter: 0