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 5173621 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18358760 epoch_slot_no: 41960 block_no: 5173444 slot_leader_id: 4555972 size: 2274 time: 2021-01-06 09:24:11 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf7cf0d1a664a51ded4bad117511ff43a4ddd5745cfff121cc6de7e23f377666Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d0djffha6pa0fk44jsugyh8ew7lmmarr2k6m2xxe5qgl97ztjlyqdk5lmx op_cert: \x513d34023cfcbbad83b59b275988c71813db1dbaef852ca21e6e47ce4e175aa8 op_cert_counter: 1