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 5178655 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 18459723 epoch_slot_no: 142923 block_no: 5178478 slot_leader_id: 4557809 size: 485 time: 2021-01-07 13:26:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x97fd406d1a7ba330d243a975f82c360ae2b5a0d1d3b80500812544a9d9d1c8ecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1y9m9n3mky4vhmungyeavy3sz47ddes80semnueneuzpaj7s7u7fs5w8kzn op_cert: \x85a638abf9ace090b466ae7306d214b5e04c7818c086fd5f2c4468da74765630 op_cert_counter: 3