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 5176349 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18414699 epoch_slot_no: 97899 block_no: 5176172 slot_leader_id: 4557143 size: 8245 time: 2021-01-07 00:56:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x159788e1f838b92050c74f7a824247a4de343789300dafc85c0e4105431d06a2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk10hj5paw809p7hv482x8nkdplpjdnt8kz8hnvef7798638au89lxqcuw7l7 op_cert: \x9bf6413381463abab790ca6c0c54c4c5c4ebdbe5775068969138e60d66d1258d op_cert_counter: 2