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 5172159 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18328070 epoch_slot_no: 11270 block_no: 5171982 slot_leader_id: 5155461 size: 5636 time: 2021-01-06 00:52:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1b31a234febb4c1582dca5c1c928323c597ae7defaee72578a1bef1109376731Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12y0w5lf2um7jnaamxezagrndnqa4zylp6r9edhturnkydah9v0js47h9v8 op_cert: \x8c6c660d58bc6a13aba983e8d0419c68186e1bfaf7f9aee55bd993b6e04a942d op_cert_counter: 1