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 5172482 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 18 slot_no: 18334485 epoch_slot_no: 17685 block_no: 5172305 slot_leader_id: 4556473 size: 8431 time: 2021-01-06 02:39:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4052e5900274e542cda4a1ceae5c73aa46a86899266cb3c7a466cdb76ddb44afBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wqptsu5qtu77rtvghckm2knuykntte2egfaqa4duc328p4q6rjls569vn3 op_cert: \x3a086f36ee9bebc00a91d714a22dee214503c63b4d1e4606b5ed0e73153dd8a4 op_cert_counter: 3