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 5356221 Details
Epoch: 248 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 22037781 epoch_slot_no: 264981 block_no: 5356044 slot_leader_id: 4653411 size: 2888 time: 2021-02-17 23:21:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa5be92a40dd72f14522dff8845273dd5aa8663e0379a65bf5af201a33abe5583Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dt4zlgflsmm57zshwzzjcf6me9pgcgk2gg6sq5r4efxnayqlhrvqcrk4k4 op_cert: \xb269968f281f7499c048a9c460b16a60f6d251194a3d1d19e247f74dc7b9b0a6 op_cert_counter: 2