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 5178540 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18457555 epoch_slot_no: 140755 block_no: 5178363 slot_leader_id: 4938728 size: 12345 time: 2021-01-07 12:50:46 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd059d1cf21c8db618525a11262a4dc98b7d406ec060b3f4dbb99293fc44c983bBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d2ad2wfp3zvhchs5h8mwtqgjnmq5rnkp05wj7r8ur6ge94ryw9hqx6jdzp op_cert: \x1ee99223a40caf33ca63758235af29c1d53066a423249f5690c8f9e664924dcf op_cert_counter: 0