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 5174173 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 27 slot_no: 18370469 epoch_slot_no: 53669 block_no: 5173996 slot_leader_id: 4555619 size: 15245 time: 2021-01-06 12:39:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x121aa9fdccd3655b3a5a1d5575f3a7348404235c482a5446d6622c76f2648394Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lqtj7dj5hdqdfe07fzydp5rdqed88ktesuvlgljqwudqr3dlt99swz8kz2 op_cert: \xdc87728e9d8935687b706192849067a332076c403667584fca13374b37b6cb70 op_cert_counter: 4