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 5178726 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 18461102 epoch_slot_no: 144302 block_no: 5178549 slot_leader_id: 5065563 size: 9032 time: 2021-01-07 13:49:53 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xda06c74abb026240f6a894d0a9831c169156807a78e6c2e90be0222182d2f68fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1lycttp5zrt79d2jz4nay0z2ku70rw4zpe0dlvrw3y53n63rw454s954w0d op_cert: \x30d9dbd6e353ffb2282aa38ee126ccc1f10f7f5b225cb9c9a71ac6229305e1fe op_cert_counter: 1