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 5173506 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 18356027 epoch_slot_no: 39227 block_no: 5173329 slot_leader_id: 5023704 size: 5094 time: 2021-01-06 08:38:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xed53b586316d81c832fcf4314b119b8b905e2f456853aa719332e3dad2d5ba98Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1hyv7e53p7q8dhzn5z0gyj7qdr7yw0radkxyms55yvpet03gu70fs6uq96e op_cert: \xb55d2af888eb65fae04b7ecf5d87410a8be9e830c54749a268544ac92e0a3c11 op_cert_counter: 0