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 5220859 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 19312895 epoch_slot_no: 132095 block_no: 5220682 slot_leader_id: 4564514 size: 816 time: 2021-01-17 10:26:26 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd0165aa07c5d0be80e6e54b2a5f6a0bdd524998e0549eda978ed1f20e9ba5bfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ecrwylem6zmj0njf7jpzan8nqaac5dm03gurqsj9my9yj6ffxzss254k3s op_cert: \x4f46a38e2ea44a1ca27fae5136ee6192c2ea67ecc287f6c6db58b437989f799a op_cert_counter: 2