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 5221178 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19319395 epoch_slot_no: 138595 block_no: 5221001 slot_leader_id: 4938729 size: 2201 time: 2021-01-17 12:14:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x274d824416f189c7b23d7b33c685db69b0f85d2837f36e2ec59becaeadb83eb8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1670vkvcqzzau3vnl4c57tjjl4m07kz9gnv9gh6ksguqnvm042ljqk626nl op_cert: \x8841d29c525219efcbda49aac7644d442d7f462f2e4f202c5549eaa7657e61f7 op_cert_counter: 0