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 5221548 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 19327059 epoch_slot_no: 146259 block_no: 5221371 slot_leader_id: 4625624 size: 11365 time: 2021-01-17 14:22:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2417a9eed45461edf9f1d14c577635a4c358b74a0827fd67451200d15a5a871aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fyl24u6j0tcvdxnkkperxffwn76a77s7j5us0lc687q86hnkyusqzfudrk op_cert: \x3c37093f33c16499de871b62fa228b4b9a97062adb95d79742441c203e1d1664 op_cert_counter: 3