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 5178288 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18452719 epoch_slot_no: 135919 block_no: 5178111 slot_leader_id: 4566298 size: 7646 time: 2021-01-07 11:30:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xe18bf435bebb74cbebd332e3dfad7cb98f55887b7b63549e95a89006b0bfde94Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk18jwugcagrtfvn0efq9pgpzt327vnqkwstxpqq84q3ndsjqu559lq9u8yv5 op_cert: \x14bb7d17ef1371d6b8726b94fe26deb65385c0c8ea5660a4d5089d32d615e934 op_cert_counter: 3