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 5218738 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19269807 epoch_slot_no: 89007 block_no: 5218561 slot_leader_id: 4860249 size: 4978 time: 2021-01-16 22:28:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x06389cb0d6730b837fb614a71bb6d685a2f3ace4f8d920f4934df58621e223ebBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1azdch753zl28sn8r5c0c5mjmuye6mre6q2fm33vz7fdmqu39h9mq2y5kpj op_cert: \x9b3140c09ac336456e0f4cd025a51b4de02650e4dfada0872c42f5d2f4a79c12 op_cert_counter: 1