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 5170666 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18299016 epoch_slot_no: 414216 block_no: 5170489 slot_leader_id: 4568166 size: 2647 time: 2021-01-05 16:48:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x05249cc1fc6eeb3495e908a5972d0c25909739d0ae07479d4af2dd3c8cc281baBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x23fpnnfh69ps2hvyszr7rd478s5gjkx7lh0epv7rdutuurtlr9q08qzt3 op_cert: \xa2c736bd92f607a213d5c1b47eb467a6b965b2676f4a5bba535a1c3c235093f5 op_cert_counter: 3