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 5178868 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18464011 epoch_slot_no: 147211 block_no: 5178691 slot_leader_id: 4561812 size: 5264 time: 2021-01-07 14:38:22 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x734534b25a7be0013dcca7d6365c97565c1579c6d7d365f87d6519deead5f241Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk19allfu7phllv704h7zmnxkmvxz5qu258hexft2hzjwcna7avjxgsssfd7r op_cert: \x806a855980825125a8b6759329cf5a531fa66a8cc1ceb473700313f221bb25f6 op_cert_counter: 3