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 5218504 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19264685 epoch_slot_no: 83885 block_no: 5218327 slot_leader_id: 4555658 size: 4774 time: 2021-01-16 21:02:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9768a279c03b911c09ec8369e0c685c7eb54c69cf2472320efd7b0baad11117Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xjffjgfgkcugakd4d2cr98jzc47lt5026jzrd63xjzqetuea47gqrgauhm op_cert: \x965103eebd7b027fee332af5df9bb505db4b61267f76b68b3b3ebc8d2f919981 op_cert_counter: 3