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 5172785 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18340779 epoch_slot_no: 23979 block_no: 5172608 slot_leader_id: 4584645 size: 1731 time: 2021-01-06 04:24:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x4209767a18b9d37a989fcad382e761e0617fc8d2aee4da042fdefaf0c7e82023Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sdmwzs6hs99wchv705k088w4yg5y7xvtw57whqetz3nwqz2enr7q8h9lez op_cert: \xf76bb3092e74e0c6890f63c82a8993cc6f7a6266c11c80c6ba12639a60127890 op_cert_counter: 6