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 5217615 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 19247169 epoch_slot_no: 66369 block_no: 5217438 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 7298 time: 2021-01-16 16:11:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x344b19beac989f489d0f860c42525ae8cb49f1737888f9ea320d20170dda1d35Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x6522beb341fd9bb87c41b2ecc383ad8493b0d9af9a61cbfb29da4f6ff2f87633 op_cert_counter: 2