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 5170300 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 18290838 epoch_slot_no: 406038 block_no: 5170123 slot_leader_id: 4557082 size: 4854 time: 2021-01-05 14:32:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb8d01501491fe0931c0f731308921e7eb3172062101a07c80a6182f2d3e37f7eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1456sdcf4f4r5fh6f8eymppxkvqahxetd7ygflj09vs6xwgpq2wdqddnd34 op_cert: \xc4ed391e15443918fdf7ab4de5b414b9dff63d95b24019f9c90cec54fb8ea296 op_cert_counter: 1