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 5170538 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18296032 epoch_slot_no: 411232 block_no: 5170361 slot_leader_id: 4938729 size: 6631 time: 2021-01-05 15:58:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8d2cbe2674104a2ee4d5020c88c3360a8f78160e045519cafc703ec31e6f46d8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1670vkvcqzzau3vnl4c57tjjl4m07kz9gnv9gh6ksguqnvm042ljqk626nl op_cert: \x8841d29c525219efcbda49aac7644d442d7f462f2e4f202c5549eaa7657e61f7 op_cert_counter: 0