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 5217958 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19254229 epoch_slot_no: 73429 block_no: 5217781 slot_leader_id: 4590524 size: 8024 time: 2021-01-16 18:08:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9b3794d079c566bfa77d0210e3fe265364a8c0648a5d6f606b7087530f82b4abBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n4yvnz9sd7el59ajuqtay5cerpm0awzg0lyqxcdm6yw2uewl2e9qzqdvr6 op_cert: \x39992d38a93470052f9068e1e1712f6caaaa7ff86d922c6111460f539f4fc2bc op_cert_counter: 4