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 5172704 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 18339174 epoch_slot_no: 22374 block_no: 5172527 slot_leader_id: 4578577 size: 2278 time: 2021-01-06 03:57:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xef259ef2697c38fe7f37cd986e8ee5884865f0c0f3fe99ef8408a69d9cf0cfc6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lknw8t34xzv42lucahfnd9jjnux8kvk00l3d06nmmg5zjy03m4gsv8r09n op_cert: \xc16942e046c2ffed090a215421b29d6f005a9c24cd0b0dfda505d39c9f2b4a58 op_cert_counter: 1