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 5217501 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19245191 epoch_slot_no: 64391 block_no: 5217324 slot_leader_id: 5003808 size: 4042 time: 2021-01-16 15:38:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfcddbb0bc346e7a2818e714edb2c298472151984d5cda121d5458d68f60f8e0aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk143s9r24ek68k3pchwj6ene5h5sq2nqek5gc8tkueych36h3g69aq8pergs op_cert: \xab650fcd7e9576ceab4cf8f540f2106b93efc38e834baa79e6c29ef105a815e9 op_cert_counter: 0