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 5172491 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18334651 epoch_slot_no: 17851 block_no: 5172314 slot_leader_id: 4594371 size: 8537 time: 2021-01-06 02:42:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6ab13275602a7026af5d4bc6af6ecbad92e5d87ef3135ae53e1fc061d4305ea5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1q43uuqny85y9m08zwvq4wtpezdsxkqp9fcrklqm267jcusul4tusz5kk0e op_cert: \x3a7d01418ca5c869af6e9345b9407fff088fe4740e3e4110178c175c0d7d897c op_cert_counter: 2