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 5171537 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18316404 epoch_slot_no: 431604 block_no: 5171360 slot_leader_id: 4556049 size: 5981 time: 2021-01-05 21:38:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x34a945094dd9e27283253e327c211ce39ae37da22e8cca9a415a39e95623a75eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1md23rugrrnl66ja45503p6vdmzvwqlflc8yhva877gxtln9sekgsx2ehap op_cert: \x554d457f1e91e442ec31af02abd77d6c0a4947a35c1d932b1c87e5603ae427bb op_cert_counter: 2