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 5162374 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18131223 epoch_slot_no: 246423 block_no: 5162197 slot_leader_id: 4581085 size: 8597 time: 2021-01-03 18:11:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7a1302056e043f503d78177a1ae739c81dbbd53cc6fcaea539b20a0d4c3e39b9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1yy7lllnlf8d3yfjsu7gjlw7xra8fcjn2vmvdfpt0df8wzdjlg7usmqyth4 op_cert: \x75781a6c732d43152bbbf122984bb2ea844321ca06b12ef4931f34a8066445f8 op_cert_counter: 3