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 5178646 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18459482 epoch_slot_no: 142682 block_no: 5178469 slot_leader_id: 5087464 size: 1103 time: 2021-01-07 13:22:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb19d39bf4397ef8050460c84d5f3d26cc84e2bc862a97132f5f1d18b7a04c017Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1djvdnqh53rpga036nhsg2xap3x0hpffvya58azdq00y5e4hlhmwsw5kgu3 op_cert: \xe78aecda9bffd8ad4253cc6e463fa7fab1770604a4b3c5ce9fb31caa3c7c6146 op_cert_counter: 1