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 5176487 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 18417097 epoch_slot_no: 100297 block_no: 5176310 slot_leader_id: 4621508 size: 8497 time: 2021-01-07 01:36:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40e1b075399076b795bce8b6c5ec0d7e7801372e2d5c2a6b71eabe90cc5f0098Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sqxnkj8uj03767wgc9w8rm4mzyq5f7e5cglhejdhemwa36j37c3q3em8xv op_cert: \x4b9dad21fbacc990e161a8ee01c8d201c9554b3da2f097cc7338f0d24c45e706 op_cert_counter: 2