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 5223261 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 19361731 epoch_slot_no: 180931 block_no: 5223084 slot_leader_id: 4562647 size: 17855 time: 2021-01-18 00:00:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdd396aefbad6afedaf91b7beb98b3d4c9e628d3f30dc17f7cca8f242a830a1ccBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ztd89l825ngr7m6qnte26ffpcvzssfqxkkkzfjlwwl9rjuans7lqnlav7a op_cert: \x316b3c01035577f6cfa9c30b4c2978361fe8bbe8c45cb16c5d4996c1dc4f9420 op_cert_counter: 2