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 5218876 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19272532 epoch_slot_no: 91732 block_no: 5218699 slot_leader_id: 4562380 size: 4107 time: 2021-01-16 23:13:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xec0299218549513729a0a11f73578c8b49c51c95c612045f56c6b60b1976fcbfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p57alctgyg0d4r37twhf88pgylucq9vlwtwgjkxa75x29gehuecsptrtxt op_cert: \xc6132a4b6fc0c30a22fb0f54ced890adfb102bb8dd4c2df3294077b5069d9974 op_cert_counter: 1