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 5217498 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19245081 epoch_slot_no: 64281 block_no: 5217321 slot_leader_id: 4597776 size: 3320 time: 2021-01-16 15:36:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf35f636a502be3fc98a42576068f3bbbe7e030b6c161ee29e7a97ac2ba45b4b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12yhs6pf5krcnnaedcvex2puny3eda8p9n349ug3rlxf8y63pph9swqv8x5 op_cert: \x89e6406e7ce03ae2733af1e7ba30a9a562872e4bb24a2444176e6d6d7115515a op_cert_counter: 2