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 5173653 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 18359341 epoch_slot_no: 42541 block_no: 5173476 slot_leader_id: 4559123 size: 9758 time: 2021-01-06 09:33:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x346d38a18e3f1538398fa7a9972da8bbc7f4085608f7ec74207dca294b74a030Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nul5c6470avmcd8qlmd8x3up4xvehsrx5nfhft84ssptqykna2uqj09syu op_cert: \x9d59e29cf95d63f5f72febb9b0e3218931516985d70beab4290a4479a25e652d op_cert_counter: 2