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 5226171 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19420764 epoch_slot_no: 239964 block_no: 5225994 slot_leader_id: 4565000 size: 9168 time: 2021-01-18 16:24:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf44af3126df216e5e70eb422448769288e6b63ec01116974cf66204e01ff92a5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nf4ql83gqmx3v4l04dzwwlwf8xtcgt6nmv36d9847mmylrrzxu6scj4yh4 op_cert: \xf48aad0cb8a0f878b37f5dca6275310668b21fbcbb828264badcde1991e13923 op_cert_counter: 4