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 5218621 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19267314 epoch_slot_no: 86514 block_no: 5218444 slot_leader_id: 4965776 size: 6040 time: 2021-01-16 21:46:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x555d0535d980ea5870882ecdd635f87efc4c924fcda4d3e0716ed61fe4f67bf6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1275jtnedrechugmqe3wxkaehjdwq5akqj4l8z0utqjhzjf4wpays2e2g0l op_cert: \xbb843b40f28413066095e06ef2a5ba64a3b68e7110c81cf848e3f1e75ef463dc op_cert_counter: 0