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 5218265 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19260095 epoch_slot_no: 79295 block_no: 5218088 slot_leader_id: 4555645 size: 2971 time: 2021-01-16 19:46:26 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x874484b7b6e679e8f599cc733eb78909c2eb44e9180c080679d53be4d1fb5c5eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18mvldxxw5k9gd9a8dznc63ez4x80mpdkz6l0wrm6y430p22nvfqq62u7ty op_cert: \x55efce91053e5969413783ac3760b2448f74e0dac512d6ac7a54919b793e42eb op_cert_counter: 3