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 5217619 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 19247257 epoch_slot_no: 66457 block_no: 5217442 slot_leader_id: 4556416 size: 10234 time: 2021-01-16 16:12:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe2db3a0ab66a09071aea1905a7cc0fef2b53cd4a6dc5f22e4d353dcfb6c16bd8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17d54jy4dkx773tg6flm43qwj7v6ahf208wkats9ugt33mnvys7xqxpqc76 op_cert: \xebd440a58904475277f0cffa6ada4171be3818ac0219c6ca0a7e38a6449a4596 op_cert_counter: 3