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 5172140 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18327669 epoch_slot_no: 10869 block_no: 5171963 slot_leader_id: 4664676 size: 4274 time: 2021-01-06 00:46:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x448d32f9fa83479d03429b737fab9d0ab6b77c1b93add90ae4513696f6b9fcd2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ccmn22jxu6rmt2s98kch5ry8h666pasqf2sx969aj2el62g4kx3sg0xglv op_cert: \x94e7d6d29bfa317002c1e3afb1c8f8852fae41673c22b2dbe6e60003fa795bb8 op_cert_counter: 2