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 5218561 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19266015 epoch_slot_no: 85215 block_no: 5218384 slot_leader_id: 4579620 size: 2311 time: 2021-01-16 21:25:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x221f37aea34999febf873e8aba004a189d279128038b672fa6353963893a75b2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16mwyxa0y2rp4ps6xk7eet0vc7jqpld8pyeq5a823nrqrqv67ww6swxwznp op_cert: \xb70735d4b93a9a28f256573c9f58dab487fe45b45ba4d845a3c634f7e7f4a967 op_cert_counter: 4