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 5218028 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19255551 epoch_slot_no: 74751 block_no: 5217851 slot_leader_id: 4938839 size: 820 time: 2021-01-16 18:30:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc3b9f4d624d9dca5e17c6ff0d960c81ca528b6b3b415bd9096646db413b77b5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yhmrqph3k0tuprgjv8pgc2scg6h8q4akajqn9d9xahc4lw5azw5sjf6324 op_cert: \x0e2ce859bd3ccfa889c92fcd775b090353bb8c8db0b2a8e343b2c277c45056e7 op_cert_counter: 0