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 5218114 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19257066 epoch_slot_no: 76266 block_no: 5217937 slot_leader_id: 4490690 size: 2649 time: 2021-01-16 18:55:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9a13707f4f640fa0916105807737afff5b195f3bcd2a54a18bdac99fed0dfe71Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jptpea0mf6k6w78s2eqxpwd4zw8mlfgvpe60cjtf2myvx5rnqxnqt57spl op_cert: \xa8e96a58f12d08163564eda1fc8a074b7a8d3d7221a85a019b51d89a41a45caa op_cert_counter: 1