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 5173421 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18354195 epoch_slot_no: 37395 block_no: 5173244 slot_leader_id: 4561122 size: 5791 time: 2021-01-06 08:08:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x15c56c943bf01ab6e1848109190ff44991e11dab2382bedb4d6dea92c8c6cbcdBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk16v34trhgsmwpp8st57htgt952f8wv6duy0w0nlcrksfkmzhljprshp0q6d op_cert: \x9be72212243044f20e1f31ade6bc03e110df2f1225f1d3c9e796f72a9f9b58d1 op_cert_counter: 2