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 5177298 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18432952 epoch_slot_no: 116152 block_no: 5177121 slot_leader_id: 4974801 size: 4739 time: 2021-01-07 06:00:43 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x44aed067d1b54d084a77e596240a149575dd846438386dd8a9c41d7cc77c5cddBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1fgsrj2aj8nhnwa7ur606nvr3nmyznd9c0j0y99g5rhahceurcvgqjtksw3 op_cert: \x9a3a89ca953c6de09194a82707d2a5eda86b25a087d98062c5569162dc3fe1bf op_cert_counter: 0