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 5174219 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 19 slot_no: 18371513 epoch_slot_no: 54713 block_no: 5174042 slot_leader_id: 4578914 size: 8475 time: 2021-01-06 12:56:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0317a0639c3103d4f32cde26b27f075edb61a3c36bff229efc5538fb1900219dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk103gta0pa007l4ffhw96jm6v5hpzyadxz72882ec6jpxz0eg8et2qkcqvkp op_cert: \x04735864bdbfda95a78a36a18a2fda2b0ce6757d297969ffe9084f025d69f9d2 op_cert_counter: 3