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 5217287 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19240409 epoch_slot_no: 59609 block_no: 5217110 slot_leader_id: 4679252 size: 474 time: 2021-01-16 14:18:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x12b162a9ad14c565b8b41cc28f2c24c3d79be208b9b2e52f096af8446e3294fbBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u3rp29td29q0txep3j7vvnk3jhpr7rwu8kqwfa34g8ukpqhgppcs8727xq op_cert: \x211ae90ed8299c6bc1162b24c4ee778061df3252e9b41c1914ff084792fad997 op_cert_counter: 2