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 5221017 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19316244 epoch_slot_no: 135444 block_no: 5220840 slot_leader_id: 4679252 size: 6385 time: 2021-01-17 11:22:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x801ae0e0a908ce31e2b7e326a3ee14760dc6a2ffa4bc0baab45fa25fab641a2fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u3rp29td29q0txep3j7vvnk3jhpr7rwu8kqwfa34g8ukpqhgppcs8727xq op_cert: \x211ae90ed8299c6bc1162b24c4ee778061df3252e9b41c1914ff084792fad997 op_cert_counter: 2