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 5174443 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 18376487 epoch_slot_no: 59687 block_no: 5174266 slot_leader_id: 4490690 size: 9334 time: 2021-01-06 14:19:38 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x7a9b5d5f720be2ee7d9b99e97ef3f70f6e045afd1ee43fddd1911f9d3ae358aeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1jptpea0mf6k6w78s2eqxpwd4zw8mlfgvpe60cjtf2myvx5rnqxnqt57spl op_cert: \xa8e96a58f12d08163564eda1fc8a074b7a8d3d7221a85a019b51d89a41a45caa op_cert_counter: 1