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 5226538 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 19427635 epoch_slot_no: 246835 block_no: 5226361 slot_leader_id: 4654290 size: 6649 time: 2021-01-18 18:18:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4d7c65fedd12e1c5dba938fbdc74565eaf9a2bcb36c0ce12e28cd9fde21df4f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17ra05d9tph3gu6qvxpktxer5skcfspcp0706dkdf4294z8vef6rs5yuttd op_cert: \x324db4750aee6c058411bb5944d97175defd5b29dbf9a4adc58031d688c3b5e4 op_cert_counter: 1