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 5217606 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19247015 epoch_slot_no: 66215 block_no: 5217429 slot_leader_id: 4555865 size: 1852 time: 2021-01-16 16:08:26 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbdd3e75cbe71f296653a19ff1e9baaace916c275baad8818fa051e43c8176b5bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y6rlw79mmm0pjw2n29w0rjr5vgqsrje3nasr3elt2kvm0v9g0z5q40m3d2 op_cert: \x190f906b7deda3ba9e9b65e19fcfa5ec089771fdb6ec6fbe02c3957f8fab93e8 op_cert_counter: 2