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 5208638 Details
Epoch: 241 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19065461 epoch_slot_no: 316661 block_no: 5208461 slot_leader_id: 4604290 size: 2755 time: 2021-01-14 13:42:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9826132798b8f74ef139903381a98f1e75864027f98a351474b879459883c815Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ck5fsw5vhjg83kv4jjetaw3xjydxnl4zvthnm2yrw5wmq6v03xmsja44am op_cert: \x254349e71570b8cce1bfcafb1884f80ac5b99970237be4cc25a89a8d8fba1236 op_cert_counter: 8