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 5177539 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18437595 epoch_slot_no: 120795 block_no: 5177362 slot_leader_id: 5088400 size: 16235 time: 2021-01-07 07:18:06 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa592559440141ea0360d70dec1709f2317c3ff05ad995d5cdcf92b2bcd207297Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gnjhn3qensa6anw677y7uvh8rdjkwxhsm0xdehq4xkgvpxeckp5qq8ul8m op_cert: \x61248b5546b04e5822c3530ce46b0521dae0d117a4fe4a417b8743cb53fec3bd op_cert_counter: 1