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 5216698 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19228269 epoch_slot_no: 47469 block_no: 5216521 slot_leader_id: 4679252 size: 396 time: 2021-01-16 10:56:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9d5c1a0697f9f88192718b39808dcc75098105b278fcf9e513d57171c35a4977Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u3rp29td29q0txep3j7vvnk3jhpr7rwu8kqwfa34g8ukpqhgppcs8727xq op_cert: \x211ae90ed8299c6bc1162b24c4ee778061df3252e9b41c1914ff084792fad997 op_cert_counter: 2