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 5217588 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19246695 epoch_slot_no: 65895 block_no: 5217411 slot_leader_id: 4638501 size: 950 time: 2021-01-16 16:03:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x748ae4f6a64690d6ee54056cbd8a2e20a4d2ecfb134a4ecc59f89329cd480772Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12e3vt3n9xrea75gq9m8qlely2aj48x3e6wrhenc22fnq3fnyz63sa5w7q7 op_cert: \xd09502b9d044e8aa31e4ee8a9f94dee7355e169c3a1f7317ee1aade75e9e4012 op_cert_counter: 2