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 5174417 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18375898 epoch_slot_no: 59098 block_no: 5174240 slot_leader_id: 4581814 size: 4903 time: 2021-01-06 14:09:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xefc70bdc455f11fde6f517bf8129f2cbfaf156ed49f1f697547d22b566a9f0fcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19lh256q7tyfsnlcrmjmyr306mz8aq0npunq5qpjuz2muh27n0y2sc4h50k op_cert: \x151b626b0989e625b46ce9e98be08b9c0cf901d7ac840a7a66fff6ddb2bbbedd op_cert_counter: 2