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 5171733 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 18320213 epoch_slot_no: 3413 block_no: 5171556 slot_leader_id: 4575269 size: 10176 time: 2021-01-05 22:41:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4b0db6b6397b69805987c2317cd8a5c64f039a60837400382f29ac71486b480bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p697xaw602mudxcfswfgn7snnl8t3eca30tds8sfk96er247zacqrtaqfh op_cert: \x14704c4ceb34c97988263075cc24a2b1dd99297932ac62ed01d2497938c42130 op_cert_counter: 4