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 5217268 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19240169 epoch_slot_no: 59369 block_no: 5217091 slot_leader_id: 4594429 size: 4025 time: 2021-01-16 14:14:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x98c8a30ab67c384a38e56c6a0c28a431e35d9108e214403122a97261f89b52afBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10lhmh865dzrfraz0l4ajrergmsdsdl4mmfvqthlu3jdhf0c7fgnsc40dt3 op_cert: \x6f4c71604ed4691feb3765b93a98b1369833fb0364c3c06e2cc33aacd8ae37a6 op_cert_counter: 2