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 5218081 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19256448 epoch_slot_no: 75648 block_no: 5217904 slot_leader_id: 4809597 size: 3236 time: 2021-01-16 18:45:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x17ce26ec31ddee0b1c69b6af6e1926e92300bef43b733fa5ac7acdf7bf7a7270Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tawdpfmgzkefrmg603n2cq047d5fj8cs0d4csce4xrxzzst444tsvwet66 op_cert: \x6522beb341fd9bb87c41b2ecc383ad8493b0d9af9a61cbfb29da4f6ff2f87633 op_cert_counter: 2