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 5173796 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 18362395 epoch_slot_no: 45595 block_no: 5173619 slot_leader_id: 5087938 size: 7002 time: 2021-01-06 10:24:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x31697613ddabe709ae470a921748e68bd255de9cc16629fd230b88d4192425d6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12m0ahlxegk5uuh8s85luk9sdk52spu4lykh52wcl05qkkjeqtnws6ajwk5 op_cert: \xbbcd955ee037a990f03097e7d7483c9b0a228f55662c4902688cfc0a75c2c8ed op_cert_counter: 1