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 5221164 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19319181 epoch_slot_no: 138381 block_no: 5220987 slot_leader_id: 4898788 size: 1991 time: 2021-01-17 12:11:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5fb3caf6270046841f408784b112a5e571cf2136cc65ede14e5c56b3b3f88131Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15zvgmteq0qgwmelmhvjlwh483smhf2j06dscurg0gwp70t98fwcsc5v5k3 op_cert: \xec8c0404d09118ab8c109e48217954ac9626d3e9a482a12d498d0d3397fb34d5 op_cert_counter: 1