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 5173690 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 16 slot_no: 18360233 epoch_slot_no: 43433 block_no: 5173513 slot_leader_id: 5003953 size: 12343 time: 2021-01-06 09:48:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8cd8be3ca3a4300ea0a6963867dfdc067dc71cc29cf69ea2fcad13893588eb59Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gkqrkn2hem278py2d44wak5496r4kmv3nu55mycwj7hf659evtqs5t750t op_cert: \xa8cf2dc2ff653de3171faa9aeb870808425064d2ea257e3e4418d15c20bf15f0 op_cert_counter: 0