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 5170218 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18288922 epoch_slot_no: 404122 block_no: 5170041 slot_leader_id: 5066920 size: 9969 time: 2021-01-05 14:00:13 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa9d72a1e8fb20e1e5178a96f6646a4a272b9cc42440e9af4637f2825d70d0479Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1veze9zl7jypnll73uqkq7kaxgpkwp2hr5lv5cvkh4p52zdz0u34s86fjp9 op_cert: \x18cf4187d18b19a7f614f1ab2fa35029278b8a553949ce9369885f5acf3144c2 op_cert_counter: 0