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 5176612 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 13 slot_no: 18419535 epoch_slot_no: 102735 block_no: 5176435 slot_leader_id: 4575007 size: 9421 time: 2021-01-07 02:17:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x967466f9ff2a6e036e8867825ca202b60f0309220f5bb9c3efebec8bb8d5ffb7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h098h6ypq7lrts9ms69pxx4t4a4h5uqshe7avn8s0f8frncz67fsx4xr2g op_cert: \x09d6415f59be643f53335baa32244d32fada05f53388bcbd250eb916a0267fa1 op_cert_counter: 3