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 5218458 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 19263861 epoch_slot_no: 83061 block_no: 5218281 slot_leader_id: 4964312 size: 4305 time: 2021-01-16 20:49:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8ec42a3b0dc3557d0b77471327934f6e855c5c143761117e3e4a9ef7e8ac071fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1srs2y8nn0a4umvk9dxq9tle7r2g9gphm0vv0j65crkvne2ys98ssr5wlht op_cert: \xd88983bfa30f4b9fe4d9b850992fb2ced382e2974b5c20184ce65c26a42b31d5 op_cert_counter: 2