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 5177899 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18444774 epoch_slot_no: 127974 block_no: 5177722 slot_leader_id: 4555499 size: 2546 time: 2021-01-07 09:17:45 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe36902e5835bc6686544b0d3f659e115e31798c88560fc8ac1523a1d9e9e866cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17ltssr2yxf2j6ktqkhd3sgxedjna205ce9qp5djyvfa639hhux4qj73fzv op_cert: \xdda74bfaafc0d5b0ca9e1f73e2e4a3ddd587dc85d5a0564c990cf162fc6d12fb op_cert_counter: 4