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 5172197 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 18329050 epoch_slot_no: 12250 block_no: 5172020 slot_leader_id: 4490688 size: 14029 time: 2021-01-06 01:09:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6371018f6cf28ba50146ca451d7172a95fb91ad33b0df2f7ad990fa9884d59edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dkfsejw3h2k7tnguwrauqfwnxa7wj3nkp3yw2yw3400c4nlkluwqzwvka6 op_cert: \x5b96cb12f1875acf26beed323781d6d8d9982cdcae7af0924886d62bbed84af1 op_cert_counter: 1