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 5177598 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18438774 epoch_slot_no: 121974 block_no: 5177421 slot_leader_id: 4732364 size: 313 time: 2021-01-07 07:37:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x504b80d680d74e47a778213750a9821b91ebce0d878fc4cf7cc5016c8ecdd961Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19p0rp5xdmmup807ctgk0h4z066s85hqlx6nee4l2axx0e0gv39js08slyf op_cert: \xee93250b52dae136cd3a67778ddd4f823f20c3cc8f8a4f0a08af9fc44b7ca6d6 op_cert_counter: 1