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 5172374 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18332667 epoch_slot_no: 15867 block_no: 5172197 slot_leader_id: 5153012 size: 1517 time: 2021-01-06 02:09:18 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4363a38e7982f04449a332cd5761ad2b867702963a6f332cefa83119a1ec49c9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nn8nsxsnqmxnke2h207s9rua3g0ruudxlmxn6vyw9egpn9xx5t9q8pv3sp op_cert: \x7f3d6a2cabe7f180cefd9e8c44a504d5746d1a74cb6f0777d42a466556b9c5f3 op_cert_counter: 1