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 5216904 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 19232508 epoch_slot_no: 51708 block_no: 5216727 slot_leader_id: 5087834 size: 12928 time: 2021-01-16 12:06:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf1d67e36d7866ded5e85b790b0600df79ba89acee525c7646c51d4298a1e2f59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c9enrdq7hcfhahy6nquktuucgtp59vz35x905mujjhugkj59y3pqs9sdk4 op_cert: \x157103be6710d42e116b357bae14477305de885d947aa10a703d87e9b11b4a53 op_cert_counter: 1