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 5170742 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18300267 epoch_slot_no: 415467 block_no: 5170565 slot_leader_id: 5065959 size: 737 time: 2021-01-05 17:09:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe2ed91c7fe98bca362dd42b81697dbbc594a7c03b9c6db47ba56354623d8f2eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9qrmed96sxkttr88uhg8u9dxa79rwhrppy75ea588r9c6t29q7q2zyu74 op_cert: \x017943b504dbd8067fb5915bbade5a2ba4e57c90c78796b6694badfede6606cc op_cert_counter: 0