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 5218046 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 19255927 epoch_slot_no: 75127 block_no: 5217869 slot_leader_id: 5151828 size: 7300 time: 2021-01-16 18:36:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8f63d785749bd057942ffb39852ef82afcf5cc5b614f5ca99d3e6874a3ae0442Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15k7lt8kzscha56uz6a5n882qupvu2hpe69jt4p2x35ug4lpj63qswls803 op_cert: \xfdfdf6f74de2b9c7e31e564ed366015b73e7377561f330995cb986b24dff56cc op_cert_counter: 0