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 5173727 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18361044 epoch_slot_no: 44244 block_no: 5173550 slot_leader_id: 4555484 size: 3258 time: 2021-01-06 10:02:15 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8d272ed0a0ec055bf7faeb80f1443a4b319a951fcb344128696e588fbaee82f4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1557zjjfnf9zv28x4dnq7s2qjkeh0d64ametmnp7srl956m8u7j2salhrms op_cert: \x396efbaf6f877918d210cf35fa7fbb4ed9c5ac32c49c34d9700d304f4c1a8035 op_cert_counter: 4