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 5226509 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 19427141 epoch_slot_no: 246341 block_no: 5226332 slot_leader_id: 4556431 size: 3944 time: 2021-01-18 18:10:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5d7a9fdeda1d428097df123c45c7a3964c993bde3c8eedd246e4f6102cf2c1f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12dl25929z0snzdwqdy8400aykx64257ted8gfvpxywmwmf4adx7sh29hd2 op_cert: \x04844358426440e183d54ccbaca5cda9713ee3b321d4c07dedc8c5c4a7c91353 op_cert_counter: 2