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 5178639 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18459311 epoch_slot_no: 142511 block_no: 5178462 slot_leader_id: 4577643 size: 4442 time: 2021-01-07 13:20:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd8d867494aaa3ea86b431d2b55fa370de10038a73a2cbf2bae39c797fe9c11b6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1frt3fez5jtw0hp4n9ke96mjzscck0gxntjklgy2vdvy4kg3lqdhslrtq5j op_cert: \x701d0c81b9f7ad9e7f085a65b3dc4ed0ba9cc7f60d6445d4829fac632485710a op_cert_counter: 5