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 5174394 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 29 slot_no: 18375288 epoch_slot_no: 58488 block_no: 5174217 slot_leader_id: 5086864 size: 26934 time: 2021-01-06 13:59:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x9c9a1878a0b3b836a53d41fae0f17bba3d7117aca1d9c8e80e55cecce16fba73Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1k47yqwvgky98aphefw3gzgl8ya640fzmltxc5sucks70vu8g8les6x9ska op_cert: \xb7a24f653c5400bc7c91fa4e3609b1830976b8cf7bb5f2b26040a03eadda9958 op_cert_counter: 1