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 5218653 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19267891 epoch_slot_no: 87091 block_no: 5218476 slot_leader_id: 4555884 size: 773 time: 2021-01-16 21:56:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9a6f1bf30e4bf1111c8f426a50da34c71d260c3e5be6c922026d31faef061b0eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1t675th7lfmnks2w3jhkzgaceqnhrj3ec0ulx2qzaav4he64nj0qqncsczk op_cert: \x2c4f0e3f1388d064963275576efd82b635eee914136d6509a78bb933e8dbeadb op_cert_counter: 5