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 5226472 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 19426552 epoch_slot_no: 245752 block_no: 5226295 slot_leader_id: 4938718 size: 3691 time: 2021-01-18 18:00:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x730ce9ff5372f1ddb9c806826962ac55fb736b243d94170368372823d4be2285Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk176awzrrlqgfhem7mkx6gkxux0anh9qs5panzu5f36s3ggn9ltt8slczzpm op_cert: \xbf6053565a74efe1e8d41ae7be1f3750ace919e07bb4cee3c31448baba357d20 op_cert_counter: 0