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 5214431 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 19181714 epoch_slot_no: 914 block_no: 5214254 slot_leader_id: 4571896 size: 9757 time: 2021-01-15 22:00:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x14437f8256bb613ee875f1d8d3c820b5bbdb8f1e79a16468405518e443290cb1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dk5fmrhwjvymenqtx0ts8t82gec6ljfxgtv8a8w659g43yfh2rase8wt5w op_cert: \x794a23404d1e15ded7c87aeeff717ebc3a88a2f64232e5b3d4c26d7f90fbbe56 op_cert_counter: 3