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 5218174 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19258329 epoch_slot_no: 77529 block_no: 5217997 slot_leader_id: 4571601 size: 5096 time: 2021-01-16 19:17:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8fb314686b27445fc4e19461488f3b3c386f154c5b35a52a159dd3eaa927b3f7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14r56d8jlceemssc6gq6cf4ega7zdu554rmtrz9l2zvv332wtcu4sfyfjz0 op_cert: \x98b82141846700505a2ef1121de1eeaa964c8b89f1a0a383ddb4ee862330393f op_cert_counter: 4