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 5174673 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 18381017 epoch_slot_no: 64217 block_no: 5174496 slot_leader_id: 4555482 size: 14957 time: 2021-01-06 15:35:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1c6dbdb0ec0fc3cea7936153a515e618d96aefe1ea41abca5cb47eecdb9d5ddaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zkk728e2535f3rdgwj3vxf5ak6kjzcmzgwnzvcksh6ec4hvuf8gqyrgp7a op_cert: \x881e8eedac8c6e6436f97d84b2c8ffd8b63dab967311268035ee8e226e2332b7 op_cert_counter: 2