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 5172530 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18335451 epoch_slot_no: 18651 block_no: 5172353 slot_leader_id: 5152260 size: 7334 time: 2021-01-06 02:55:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xad257202dc828813cdf53a42bce710b0a1128d260cdd3796f959444b37484dfaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1360snatudsnaz8lq0cxtsztdgxfp67mypth6tgfvu23y4yj3u96qvq0gv6 op_cert: \xa4c426177b834a78149bf4d61ba2fc9997f697c3a24f4c9b605db99b1eba1be4 op_cert_counter: 1