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 5173574 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 18357550 epoch_slot_no: 40750 block_no: 5173397 slot_leader_id: 4490695 size: 7913 time: 2021-01-06 09:04:01 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8d832eed4c94f2418e705233d0a8ce4f9893ba553ab5901ad4afaaf541b36dd4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14y9pjprzlsjvjt66mv5u7w7292sxp3kn4ewhss45ayjga5vurgaqhqknuu op_cert: \xeac33beea37b7f9a4c4728dd7a9fc624938d3402832e572aef5c5912f0d3ce22 op_cert_counter: 1