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 5222136 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 19339109 epoch_slot_no: 158309 block_no: 5221959 slot_leader_id: 4561122 size: 10787 time: 2021-01-17 17:43:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9974944295a84c427158f5c26d238d77bc9f45b7311b1300878a0226c8db798bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16v34trhgsmwpp8st57htgt952f8wv6duy0w0nlcrksfkmzhljprshp0q6d op_cert: \x9be72212243044f20e1f31ade6bc03e110df2f1225f1d3c9e796f72a9f9b58d1 op_cert_counter: 2