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 5178866 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18463960 epoch_slot_no: 147160 block_no: 5178689 slot_leader_id: 5087464 size: 4938 time: 2021-01-07 14:37:31 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0952c341a858e5467e7448481e69d3314cf35c1c47a13a06dbd22b74a3e1fbb7Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1djvdnqh53rpga036nhsg2xap3x0hpffvya58azdq00y5e4hlhmwsw5kgu3 op_cert: \xe78aecda9bffd8ad4253cc6e463fa7fab1770604a4b3c5ce9fb31caa3c7c6146 op_cert_counter: 1