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 5170657 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18298808 epoch_slot_no: 414008 block_no: 5170480 slot_leader_id: 4559683 size: 687 time: 2021-01-05 16:44:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4addd122f184bb9a19951305d952cd5aefd6fcd2087dac5180102b13a57f4815Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lzs68gd92uysvu04y23m62d6nwprqm5d2hjal9uwwe390wger3dqvgy23f op_cert: \xdad43f583c151dcb64b84f3d81c31bbdd589bda155b9bce2ba100423b5d5b09c op_cert_counter: 4