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 5173985 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 18366361 epoch_slot_no: 49561 block_no: 5173808 slot_leader_id: 4733300 size: 12472 time: 2021-01-06 11:30:52 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x78b9d3d4f1b919d1d561e7dd474c20f51a937002d472c8b0c62124db3cb35071Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1u8fpzrhfmyayq9vk3jsp32mklcszs9q8lhuaxlgspr8t4wqdkfys76vdcq op_cert: \xa7af863a4a4ae22b1b38571c57ce7faaaa4b6dfb31d03cc167aeb63cc9803579 op_cert_counter: 1