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 5174397 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 18375329 epoch_slot_no: 58529 block_no: 5174220 slot_leader_id: 4555561 size: 60429 time: 2021-01-06 14:00:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x97d4abad1c6e54a0e6d9fbf9a5be59b55f739a2e0f6db7ff937f4c063a5338a3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vahd9zncqkeaehp09j3g93a8kmdhk8gy4cn8spc8tze0e5eegflqkak6k6 op_cert: \x09bcb50ac36bc33a15e585da7c411316398718535494bbacdc88eb4bc9ffd5e5 op_cert_counter: 1