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 5171806 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 18321485 epoch_slot_no: 4685 block_no: 5171629 slot_leader_id: 4556309 size: 1865 time: 2021-01-05 23:02:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xac4673bcdd79ce0d8935b6023ca32dc35fb603820f75173907b11e76fc005322Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d64n6vnj4en52mhn29vux22pjvwfn4fwaktv92xpk7n8gq8qwzyqvern57 op_cert: \x7d57491c354acda3fad1cba2d1c7b2df332110dd8cb47d5ef40a59611f12e5e8 op_cert_counter: 2