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 5221201 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19320038 epoch_slot_no: 139238 block_no: 5221024 slot_leader_id: 5087583 size: 3580 time: 2021-01-17 12:25:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x45520184131ae33ecf9a7b1880b10279b020bbf827f0355653c9feafe97024ddBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177j9mzysf8ayzv5q3enrsxq38hde36uhaptc82a6q69pjkhsk40s4mjlgj op_cert: \xaaa75dfbb5b886be5d647cf8cec28523e3d54843efcb186858594e5c73117901 op_cert_counter: 1