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 5171651 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18318366 epoch_slot_no: 1566 block_no: 5171474 slot_leader_id: 4720522 size: 1285 time: 2021-01-05 22:10:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3559c6a1da9c33d8a03c3df21c5f53364f6d96ae194e187713e0ba6a576c685Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1xy73ny0ah33aqcnjy87vqv9wrjqdjzm0972j96udh5svdnzydnnqf7twzn op_cert: \x769f1797b2e46ca37d757d60e6eb4ac5f63c6f6010f25612811543066043051a op_cert_counter: 1