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 5168383 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18251713 epoch_slot_no: 366913 block_no: 5168206 slot_leader_id: 4861226 size: 2596 time: 2021-01-05 03:40:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x77179027229cb3446504a72588a68d5d73e8f779bc14ee85569e722c6ba132dfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sptnr6ls6ptquhx09phjv7tqmqatlrgze8k8mwfld6xqsqylvt4sza2fl4 op_cert: \x6ab3b8d47f79d64040043ca24a1a5c6a0ccd68c418a39e4499d61727c4aca4cc op_cert_counter: 2