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 5172404 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 18333172 epoch_slot_no: 16372 block_no: 5172227 slot_leader_id: 4555407 size: 3260 time: 2021-01-06 02:17:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd17791bfd30988b886f6a6deb123912a674e90860159a338ba8ed4ab9fcaf8dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dpe0n23qr4eqd4yq7f8q2zt5s7hxwvx2sh39p22j5jv9dya6j6hsavwa7s op_cert: \x8d67258db5959f13490a24451183279318ed1461904cd48d1d72a8f6afdb1a16 op_cert_counter: 4