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 5222678 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 19350119 epoch_slot_no: 169319 block_no: 5222501 slot_leader_id: 4585961 size: 8187 time: 2021-01-17 20:46:50 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x16e3d5cadc820579ed390a2a3d2b5ba5a2f4026ffc1c48756ae55cd16c1b8a95Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hryzec3zjkds8d4k5xnkk7e76j8varatq0cf85l9r3fsskxwgxqzzyqcz op_cert: \xa6b2af46c42d34936c85e7f5a55c6209683a8599fc7e293c4e25019b1139d8bf op_cert_counter: 4