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 5174581 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18379280 epoch_slot_no: 62480 block_no: 5174404 slot_leader_id: 4581138 size: 8207 time: 2021-01-06 15:06:11 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x308504d5f6854ad54d71e9a692b59f6e8b8953503fce31ba9b5a41cccf9e3f44Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ulzq58u0kerl59x6fpfqrzf0xqxfwh02zyphngvrz05jc7efahssw82nrn op_cert: \xd3e1ca1ad83ce1147e1a659f1a9ca37254b4293a56298943f9f25f31117c58ce op_cert_counter: 3