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 5178391 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18454617 epoch_slot_no: 137817 block_no: 5178214 slot_leader_id: 5150684 size: 3510 time: 2021-01-07 12:01:48 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0e656f49b8b3bec75ca8075fce5ba7f4c9c6879f1be866212c65d10ef7eb7757Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1znpcyauy5w2fkpnhm97y7r6wt3jdkgla0kvvmesymrk36us2vptsl3d784 op_cert: \xb504fd7eb0960bf673b8598bb57dff92b93bc4de535d78aa6f52c717cb7c4473 op_cert_counter: 0