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 5216345 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19221358 epoch_slot_no: 40558 block_no: 5216168 slot_leader_id: 4750395 size: 3792 time: 2021-01-16 09:00:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x01da8a5addd97fd9165da1e67b796636ba2978bda0fc225c820f6e16841e463aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qrmku2vdjfs2l8aypgvww8nspcve8yjxrx4fsj7xyzww2kna3nvszdrcxk op_cert: \x3b38994945df21a24a21521bebe4b78cec3e8b3d08f7ca05fba8689c489f2dfa op_cert_counter: 1