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 5172868 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18342588 epoch_slot_no: 25788 block_no: 5172691 slot_leader_id: 4938751 size: 7207 time: 2021-01-06 04:54:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6bbfa9da5e38dd1c2cba8d96a55a3616c18c4b8ec361d28f78486ef9330f5052Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mmlhe3pfglnvkcquwemp0d5fkxqdxzhmgydymnu3afm6k4hmk8rsws27e5 op_cert: \xe20ae26ba08eadf2e6c02dbb85b7deac42d77777c37f83741cb4a256f6d3139f op_cert_counter: 0