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 5177577 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 11 slot_no: 18438338 epoch_slot_no: 121538 block_no: 5177400 slot_leader_id: 4961128 size: 5310 time: 2021-01-07 07:30:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x18cc42c9f61b79ae76d59a2001e4fc1c4b93f9cc245fa560308f553f72dad972Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ajtchlkusa56gkrat3a00y2hxymgrkhckuj04lq6uutegse667js9028dc op_cert: \x08ac20316ebdeade420e12d9f498dc0376915e94000de7562f55b9a38a89cf92 op_cert_counter: 2