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 5317503 Details
Epoch: 246 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 21256502 epoch_slot_no: 347702 block_no: 5317326 slot_leader_id: 4560329 size: 1859 time: 2021-02-08 22:19:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfb5f6c41251dda8bc9ac6bb61a7971c5bc3e19d79f60dc3b3a1aa8df04922c5aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rcczqvh08687crmnemj7ykr8t5nhygv97uhjafn2wtkvhm43uc8qm8z782 op_cert: \xa91aff9598a2c4f1089a219351312d7bec15b502596c97622d8a00a01ba5b789 op_cert_counter: 5