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 5173636 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 18358985 epoch_slot_no: 42185 block_no: 5173459 slot_leader_id: 5150684 size: 12321 time: 2021-01-06 09:27:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc9f47885a42d925cf49b5af8287149ab02d1f7769f7a3d74d259e6ad97daa0b4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1znpcyauy5w2fkpnhm97y7r6wt3jdkgla0kvvmesymrk36us2vptsl3d784 op_cert: \xb504fd7eb0960bf673b8598bb57dff92b93bc4de535d78aa6f52c717cb7c4473 op_cert_counter: 0