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 5173563 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18357251 epoch_slot_no: 40451 block_no: 5173386 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 1457 time: 2021-01-06 08:59:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf811b471253057ac6f9532e0b75da6e7c5a5700f3674c1d38ca017111914ac95Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \xdc87728e9d8935687b706192849067a332076c403667584fca13374b37b6cb70 op_cert_counter: 4