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 5217731 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 19249307 epoch_slot_no: 68507 block_no: 5217554 slot_leader_id: 4605544 size: 8359 time: 2021-01-16 16:46:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x72944a537dfcb3fb15ba2dc323ef9fbd397cda8c94a5f94b9b2b91657d43b7c6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1phkelt7mecrq8as6vxxdtsyhhe57jc6g0ph9llt5red73kr2k0tswymgjs op_cert: \x608a9efa4cdf1c0f1b11075431015cdd31874b2eb47dd4d6d83c9e01015bc787 op_cert_counter: 2