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 5218034 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19255649 epoch_slot_no: 74849 block_no: 5217857 slot_leader_id: 4556014 size: 1327 time: 2021-01-16 18:32:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x84eb0627f1992c7928de82085bd41814516b17472d601ae635853e279813d3abBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1elepmm7z2v8strsztf4wsfldmzfetskdn73al09qnjeuhtvps4ss8c57cq op_cert: \xc135207dbc5e856a8a90e943d179da0ed70e0325741d03f40f242f204d2b1c96 op_cert_counter: 4