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 5221236 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19320679 epoch_slot_no: 139879 block_no: 5221059 slot_leader_id: 4558237 size: 3759 time: 2021-01-17 12:36:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4035f4960060e525695c648cbd3e2dd67c4a1e28c6f9045bc365bfd3dcc21878Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16v0wlzz9d2q4x2ewx4pwmsfwlmahftvrccxkq3ytwremps59hzzs7gaa9y op_cert: \x4081382ce8c23b11b335cfdbc671d0f0af9aaab3855258fb5931cc30a12b5a64 op_cert_counter: 4