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 5177040 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18427970 epoch_slot_no: 111170 block_no: 5176863 slot_leader_id: 5151828 size: 8810 time: 2021-01-07 04:37:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbd03f64b961aee8eb39804e5cd6a5de4f8d866d49fe65d057ecc5f88dd2cdbb7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk15k7lt8kzscha56uz6a5n882qupvu2hpe69jt4p2x35ug4lpj63qswls803 op_cert: \xfdfdf6f74de2b9c7e31e564ed366015b73e7377561f330995cb986b24dff56cc op_cert_counter: 0