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 5216940 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19233449 epoch_slot_no: 52649 block_no: 5216763 slot_leader_id: 4985325 size: 2387 time: 2021-01-16 12:22:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcff8ba6bf55ffa1450dcbe2c4d5b898d8bd734107be40ea5a0d2d631c9544edaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk104ph0tayutj52je952fk2wrwa88qn4d4989wf79a44zdmyswj6hs47wg25 op_cert: \xdbaec763beca6cc65c80795dd41b7704163e23ea18b7b8ca20df87e236cfb308 op_cert_counter: 0