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 5173362 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 18352901 epoch_slot_no: 36101 block_no: 5173185 slot_leader_id: 4869078 size: 9226 time: 2021-01-06 07:46:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd8ec3a10669e9874ae12cee4f952f98fa068a313b006f712a7b8c4faf2f7a923Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wtrryjjkch77gg8lpueyy3lqltdehrt3d56kgvtvtsculnexcvks44hjm9 op_cert: \xf62b85b42ea77495f3458319127dafe15eb01fdbfb08f992ecc5aeac4c7765b9 op_cert_counter: 2