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 5177409 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18434880 epoch_slot_no: 118080 block_no: 5177232 slot_leader_id: 4555723 size: 7127 time: 2021-01-07 06:32:51 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb856e60dbaaba2c3fc7457ea2c9a8a37fbddc483e705fa53fcdd862e2f6cf199Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ur9wp2srefjdzexfqnpvxaqe20ltra9z6pqwd9la20zasstztueqvc3eu0 op_cert: \x095f1be9adab96f45f27abda1ca11a0f101e85c0de5af0ca7c6be05835877135 op_cert_counter: 4