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 5170243 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 18289549 epoch_slot_no: 404749 block_no: 5170066 slot_leader_id: 5086724 size: 14309 time: 2021-01-05 14:10:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdf1f53aa7743582dded3a43161662f3ddc789a28e44198b15da9528d5c0d8c25Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk186jq39pep95205pewyzpvl56p6k0jk2yegevxtn9f8cgkxhm0ecqtul4e5 op_cert: \x77073181c3bbef47030ff39bab1aba3df1a2bcf3c078f95d02bed528d36f2ed6 op_cert_counter: 1