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 5177481 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18436466 epoch_slot_no: 119666 block_no: 5177304 slot_leader_id: 4574784 size: 8317 time: 2021-01-07 06:59:17 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe8438ceefd50359d57a1161dde65dc9774daf5c0a76aab880ba2eeadab0443caBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x3g028rycpwt779a50d8e4jgfyzrv9qtykp82ak8xnef3clx277q05les4 op_cert: \xefe3deec6b533132c8d964e3d9e1fb59f6c590320475f465f6b30b5325061f33 op_cert_counter: 2