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 5371638 Details
Epoch: 249 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 22348922 epoch_slot_no: 144122 block_no: 5371461 slot_leader_id: 4561262 size: 7241 time: 2021-02-21 13:46:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1918f99439af2416ae07d1e7bfaa3f30ff680147866ad3a2b3c3f5e02020a287Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12ak5n6v2m74k2c3ac9hellewm5ssarw363vgh7hc4ujshmdf60rs2furrn op_cert: \x16f86d2f0a16dbcddbe44a30faa70a81ac815f6e35ef8e477d580bb79e25eb4e op_cert_counter: 7