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 5171548 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 15 slot_no: 18316663 epoch_slot_no: 431863 block_no: 5171371 slot_leader_id: 4588020 size: 9313 time: 2021-01-05 21:42:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3d7de94268e3ed5214120a13720c7deab0f0864dc60434740f3b0fb54677ed12Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v38ah9nkpaw4799796l5ypvdyrusx8pedyktw4srzj3fc8ksa40sl0vmvd op_cert: \x569dd711fd283132703ec390c8cee57f9f9337ba8aca4abdfa44449c4caaeae8 op_cert_counter: 12