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 5214428 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 19181658 epoch_slot_no: 858 block_no: 5214251 slot_leader_id: 4555429 size: 5084 time: 2021-01-15 21:59:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4e5602e366ca675f82f3a38205b32504c4b18410135c7eceb2270159d522afeaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1asqe28esdppqc6u8sszf07x3t9wvve6g8qf3x89a0f2cvj0hqk5shnlgmz op_cert: \xf1884538e787fd0265f38e1f031ad5c25d04e9c4cbf84130291f1329a0a86677 op_cert_counter: 1