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 5216438 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19223302 epoch_slot_no: 42502 block_no: 5216261 slot_leader_id: 4624978 size: 4279 time: 2021-01-16 09:33:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x45715674d89b5381bd84fcfcd44efb30cc7bd3758c7ba95402d85edcd1039581Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u70fuazllxqtjj40f5pp7r2ujhgj2t8nuuekpslhd4mq54tdakxqenh0g2 op_cert: \x30b4ece9da00b7bf1a2dd58175b35dbdcb33e48d3eb173acf22ee5a0d5f969a9 op_cert_counter: 2