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 5221596 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19328133 epoch_slot_no: 147333 block_no: 5221419 slot_leader_id: 4490692 size: 3640 time: 2021-01-17 14:40:24 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfbc56a5e00a2dddc3101a13b9b25140344ab71c30ea56652ae92c1954e9bc09dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvwps7slwsmaq70yzsctd20u0v5mym5te8zxw2892yafxp8jyfhsvjjnqh op_cert: \xf13a49a4cef62444acf41ba4e92bbe66b6390165add42dfa50cf5a741ed66fa8 op_cert_counter: 1