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 5173515 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18356175 epoch_slot_no: 39375 block_no: 5173338 slot_leader_id: 4490688 size: 7444 time: 2021-01-06 08:41:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xeda9541a851895c06dd41671d78f02d4a6c4d46ea9f2c2e0fc4d83d8b5c50ddfBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dkfsejw3h2k7tnguwrauqfwnxa7wj3nkp3yw2yw3400c4nlkluwqzwvka6 op_cert: \x5b96cb12f1875acf26beed323781d6d8d9982cdcae7af0924886d62bbed84af1 op_cert_counter: 1