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 5174506 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18377730 epoch_slot_no: 60930 block_no: 5174329 slot_leader_id: 5087541 size: 13950 time: 2021-01-06 14:40:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc69feacb5a23c1dd810503c3b2ecb7df63d201140c57ff9d753171862a8c372aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1n8sum5eu3y2uq2czqj2epdy5hmqtt4e0kjvel49w49w8fnr57zvq8jvh9a op_cert: \xf774b1994f26f6124f4764cbc6746aecaf66b43d5abeffb9a26fc1ca3a3fb18a op_cert_counter: 1