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 5221456 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 19325287 epoch_slot_no: 144487 block_no: 5221279 slot_leader_id: 4556014 size: 2946 time: 2021-01-17 13:52:58 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x15795f82c5ac620cdcd508ff7d9fd23e3778ce4240f20bb2acbb192d224637edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1elepmm7z2v8strsztf4wsfldmzfetskdn73al09qnjeuhtvps4ss8c57cq op_cert: \xc135207dbc5e856a8a90e943d179da0ed70e0325741d03f40f242f204d2b1c96 op_cert_counter: 4