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 5221521 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19326518 epoch_slot_no: 145718 block_no: 5221344 slot_leader_id: 4569833 size: 7446 time: 2021-01-17 14:13:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6d4ffef1dd6900fa56559adaf09c2bd645cfc0b39febf8af508f1939d51be9bfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15na32fyrqpp3aftv9l8ng4qf9re55s5texu6f86r2mt4h7ekj5psf62563 op_cert: \xfdfc948c704c9282cd73eebc1c127f051056f52841d71ebdce58ea295ea77c36 op_cert_counter: 3