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 5178716 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18460970 epoch_slot_no: 144170 block_no: 5178539 slot_leader_id: 4588020 size: 4966 time: 2021-01-07 13:47:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2a8fab0f0828a2765a7b01ac4383ba401fac630862e87704b5d1d4b5991de2b6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1v38ah9nkpaw4799796l5ypvdyrusx8pedyktw4srzj3fc8ksa40sl0vmvd op_cert: \x569dd711fd283132703ec390c8cee57f9f9337ba8aca4abdfa44449c4caaeae8 op_cert_counter: 12