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 5221374 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19323600 epoch_slot_no: 142800 block_no: 5221197 slot_leader_id: 4490688 size: 3352 time: 2021-01-17 13:24:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x32666a99b8c4fe93d5b71a27c7724318aa8b667cb6c226dd18fea02afbfb0104Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dkfsejw3h2k7tnguwrauqfwnxa7wj3nkp3yw2yw3400c4nlkluwqzwvka6 op_cert: \x5b96cb12f1875acf26beed323781d6d8d9982cdcae7af0924886d62bbed84af1 op_cert_counter: 1