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 5177339 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18433669 epoch_slot_no: 116869 block_no: 5177162 slot_leader_id: 4558321 size: 8159 time: 2021-01-07 06:12:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb01909a805f7d5df869f2a3019d5b8ac6b47932f3d196f897659428e7f1291a8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s4mtwaux6gujlh3f99tfg59ssunv7pr0khspnjd87evmh4fqkr7strnql2 op_cert: \xc8236cb14d3e5fec3f73ad4bad4d5b956ec05097c8a0b4aacb321c287708c2b6 op_cert_counter: 3