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 5218616 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19267200 epoch_slot_no: 86400 block_no: 5218439 slot_leader_id: 4490695 size: 657 time: 2021-01-16 21:44:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc072b7c967b4ba68b5361f5673c4518a9931c93a2714a7f0a30790c2758e4dcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14y9pjprzlsjvjt66mv5u7w7292sxp3kn4ewhss45ayjga5vurgaqhqknuu op_cert: \xeac33beea37b7f9a4c4728dd7a9fc624938d3402832e572aef5c5912f0d3ce22 op_cert_counter: 1