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 5178672 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18460091 epoch_slot_no: 143291 block_no: 5178495 slot_leader_id: 4605230 size: 6804 time: 2021-01-07 13:33:02 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1e54a10ff6ea93b4b5cb458ec156e34831f1fed6d923542c4f6fb60dcebfceadBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1enu73aesklvfzp5clxnws5aykyt34yvdc5p9ry4rnzyxeegx7thqwrv3ax op_cert: \x4ad1f5e8001d439e994e1da2c6079206cc74943dd823fd1fa98cbbb1ceafde12 op_cert_counter: 1