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 5169316 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18270394 epoch_slot_no: 385594 block_no: 5169139 slot_leader_id: 4556762 size: 1256 time: 2021-01-05 08:51:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7678bcf97aa907fbcffa133d12c13382e31b9c97df8ea0e491dcbf5d2e50da88Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1e6htw3vtc0mk0kcynlv783jahpwjgvvhl7hgwy3nje79n0k5sqzscy5045 op_cert: \x09fb028f24144e81a3229afa95a9a7a07f05da911c4df3786cc618f48d0386fa op_cert_counter: 3