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 5218182 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19258462 epoch_slot_no: 77662 block_no: 5218005 slot_leader_id: 4705907 size: 3454 time: 2021-01-16 19:19:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x19c226fbde62ef0a3cf357aa1292f466923dba01708f77cc09a46321e7f524d9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xlyjst86pf74pctrr99r55hre0y36qcxj486t93cgqwxxjw83raqznjjze op_cert: \x6c336b17571a13932731d22c1a345dcaad1a625f07709ae4aa2f87574b2e8a7e op_cert_counter: 2