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 5171704 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 18319666 epoch_slot_no: 2866 block_no: 5171527 slot_leader_id: 5023593 size: 8967 time: 2021-01-05 22:32:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x96ed35300141d0d114c8238f1d30427ea7bb82cf85832c5c2ac90c5ed7eb80f8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lr4hgxp9rstc9ndaq0p0zcyfkfk3j73rg5qdryza79fp5ut3jyssn225y6 op_cert: \x462134b6528586097daffb8cccc7caeeb5d3d4c377cee5206f14e324f34b477d op_cert_counter: 0