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 5174640 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18380345 epoch_slot_no: 63545 block_no: 5174463 slot_leader_id: 4559709 size: 4378 time: 2021-01-06 15:23:56 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8e38ec139928b3119d511d4ad878d0d0e04ddbbf5a093ffe9c2f1f479dfe88e5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1rrf0qyyv45pu7talhcdfzk4hc0273k54504vdralnu9tyul4xspqk7d35p op_cert: \x6736828ab135fef8512964d29e78aade1214a727510037467b38b33e0c9ab193 op_cert_counter: 2