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 5217246 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 19239658 epoch_slot_no: 58858 block_no: 5217069 slot_leader_id: 4579931 size: 12038 time: 2021-01-16 14:05:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd7a04df6b2b27bb70f3cc17b04acc509795924bc37d84cb79caaeadd294fb9d6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qef28psg2f7xcung62a8nspwskqd0tmt22c6kr7qs7hws33yv5lsnge96g op_cert: \xbe09b8b9a69a90a8aeac0b2b94a1367ee69829d01db206c24222681b33d213cd op_cert_counter: 1