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 5176645 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18420069 epoch_slot_no: 103269 block_no: 5176468 slot_leader_id: 4558321 size: 1600 time: 2021-01-07 02:26:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x01365e7314ab3b55d07cbbd855bf6fa0c1e6c4112c2096104058e5e7ab51b3a5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s4mtwaux6gujlh3f99tfg59ssunv7pr0khspnjd87evmh4fqkr7strnql2 op_cert: \xc8236cb14d3e5fec3f73ad4bad4d5b956ec05097c8a0b4aacb321c287708c2b6 op_cert_counter: 3