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 5218815 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 19271372 epoch_slot_no: 90572 block_no: 5218638 slot_leader_id: 4580300 size: 4539 time: 2021-01-16 22:54:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0cb8caac9a43cb5b5ebfdcf1f214f2d409b4b92ce55ff3cdf31e7214d595ca91Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vx5502zk5kf6z4lrgrwfq29hfk2qtt8k60h3h8nwkn6mlhd8uvrsrtccz3 op_cert: \x777805a4b9523866a1e9cab8233a44ddc938afcd7faa16c50fd59873434d6936 op_cert_counter: 2