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 5178601 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18458626 epoch_slot_no: 141826 block_no: 5178424 slot_leader_id: 4562293 size: 15603 time: 2021-01-07 13:08:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x03208f8e607495c5f29a0a5f20580fed870356f01f5c839b75fd61647e3c5676Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk123rm6evmzlzs6qksv6p4dv62y8jevnctgcwnvvey24azpc5tq6eq2z4cv0 op_cert: \xafed4ec31f38fe82878c988bf5e14e918b8df7fa03b24ab3e85720f9580c2ca2 op_cert_counter: 2