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 5317349 Details
Epoch: 246 Number of transactions in block: 20 slot_no: 21253507 epoch_slot_no: 344707 block_no: 5317172 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 8673 time: 2021-02-08 21:29:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa31957438b6437f13922f2fd160c2e2b654f0ed1a52bba4ab6e07aaffecbdddaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x95c9e44ea81aeb1479fa96585b442150db8babf907cfab6c1b53fc7e67918572 op_cert_counter: 3