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 5217555 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19246039 epoch_slot_no: 65239 block_no: 5217378 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 3431 time: 2021-01-16 15:52:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x012c0757cd928a0690fcc71898583379ef5b12b12e01cfbfc33e57b12b53d3acBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \x3aff8c2cba5f40bbb4852a5c2151eae78f45fec5c4be24b2e6f13f06e9cc19b6 op_cert_counter: 5