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 5317497 Details
Epoch: 246 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 21256416 epoch_slot_no: 347616 block_no: 5317320 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 7042 time: 2021-02-08 22:18:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd0ce6c8d410aae2d5cdc9debd4933a1e049d3598f5e9bf58e7bc18d82e045360Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \x9eee9a4689881164a2a1c34ce66ebbaee4614c787796a09b1ffd610ee6c552c1 op_cert_counter: 5