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 5175496 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18397817 epoch_slot_no: 81017 block_no: 5175319 slot_leader_id: 4736553 size: 609 time: 2021-01-06 20:15:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcf5ef5639cf6bd46e42cfa84e36fba10c86fc0c210df09ea1964aecd2feecfe3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vzzngklkz56jwr4vgl9vxny3gkjkkevcns2cwqhhff35k26klm5qez5c3q op_cert: \x8e8035b12475a85351b67c737d1d679f05c2c8c74b693bf9eef218d0e985e0c2 op_cert_counter: 3