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 5217872 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 19252317 epoch_slot_no: 71517 block_no: 5217695 slot_leader_id: 5150848 size: 15823 time: 2021-01-16 17:36:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf1371514e6f661f7d6674103f6fdf9ae8a06a47ef3be42bf5df60e40f76fceabBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sdxhalxpdmgxaczrut9mfjcxy2a2t4psyj3rcstdgq73c5taafmqyp5725 op_cert: \xe9a933ac50fecd57c1665ad02539e3980227a90bd27daf0cdbe43283748a976d op_cert_counter: 0