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 5229217 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 19480549 epoch_slot_no: 299749 block_no: 5229040 slot_leader_id: 5087787 size: 678 time: 2021-01-19 09:00:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x442cdcc2496c164ace631097ef4b05d1daee14f057013b33f667c5e2aa1a15e0Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15wjuugwl5qgpahp9edc7z9dartl3kfc72a6tdj6ecv7scnj6p73str2kg9 op_cert: \xf4e4b50e4f2c47cbde6aee1170b5dde77a244b2c38ff882f2c87d2151c821eaa op_cert_counter: 1