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 5221353 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 19323207 epoch_slot_no: 142407 block_no: 5221176 slot_leader_id: 4558711 size: 1889 time: 2021-01-17 13:18:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9db55089bfad428ed65c0f61685336217a841bb2e78dce03ace36ba1ecb58793Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xnpprrn77xe9as4a7cv5dehdr5ju6h06w87nn4rnfr2kr2dw3jyqpcy2r6 op_cert: \xb91c212e92ea83fc19605ac6d6d82927b025cb669c1a4b04b837726e26f000fd op_cert_counter: 2