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 5173509 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 18356108 epoch_slot_no: 39308 block_no: 5173332 slot_leader_id: 5154189 size: 9188 time: 2021-01-06 08:39:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xfa4551ccc0e4ab42000ba9c0f57180a02a10238aa39aa382d7198dd0d0047731Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18svxfgx9c6hrjsu2yu0zye7fjjhgammq2une528athfuvnyjwatq0hlkvm op_cert: \xb0359ab3e3323d6aaf19cb43aa32d6588cb73c1e5eaf3add2c8bb5ccc1e5cf58 op_cert_counter: 1