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 5218212 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19258979 epoch_slot_no: 78179 block_no: 5218035 slot_leader_id: 4640685 size: 3751 time: 2021-01-16 19:27:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5301e9e2ae884815f407da33f7b9921df26187883220d39fef7af7bab55dc185Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12fjnfgfyqpdqu9tl6rjlyn63anxc49yptvyxfya2fd202p9gmxksnlzvk7 op_cert: \xb61d07a19a6d4e389edebf418390d42917854a820b788901c8f58232983be650 op_cert_counter: 1