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 5216738 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19229182 epoch_slot_no: 48382 block_no: 5216561 slot_leader_id: 4581743 size: 3482 time: 2021-01-16 11:11:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xab10373dd4a14034f2e29fbf163f30b2532818f1abb1a9a32f9e470c51bb44eaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10muay2s03zv47g7dqqqfkjk8w52a9auk6mz35vc79k7e70sw0jjq2qd234 op_cert: \x32166c5a7ad8d839427203d0579ff802827f6598b25727eb859e865df4c3afad op_cert_counter: 2