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 5172608 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18337083 epoch_slot_no: 20283 block_no: 5172431 slot_leader_id: 4581743 size: 1845 time: 2021-01-06 03:22:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0d1e3bc72581a927cbbd1a85e2d7d7610649e8eedbfe9a6e2879a1a210e647b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10muay2s03zv47g7dqqqfkjk8w52a9auk6mz35vc79k7e70sw0jjq2qd234 op_cert: \x3a1cbb8b2286f20238cec6e739b323a32bae2277e68a7c4fb9382b1349a7cf8e op_cert_counter: 1