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 5221443 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19324907 epoch_slot_no: 144107 block_no: 5221266 slot_leader_id: 4577713 size: 2962 time: 2021-01-17 13:46:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd5ecd4158ddf833c065a3a968364f8ff763a8ef05bde3eef2a4dbcf906efdedcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qwu8m2lsqldzdg4m8ypaj5w2sdamla6p0t2kvk0amzfpc5v7ednsvfcj2p op_cert: \x1cd1423daff2b2b699a9110bc8d608a9c87d044d0a59f68c7587f4cf57eba995 op_cert_counter: 2