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 5178871 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 22 slot_no: 18464113 epoch_slot_no: 147313 block_no: 5178694 slot_leader_id: 5023482 size: 16586 time: 2021-01-07 14:40:04 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xb44452b31b9f7b0c7e7a34ddd8e7fdb95701aeaf3c23bd3dfcff566d17f599d4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pj5tlwvaygmpdcc97kpeelc348rdccma9kdrekn9xxlp4ppztxnsese28h op_cert: \x16a39768e2e7c6c75a7eb25178d3b7b82919bb294d7533224e9f88ff3cca8a3d op_cert_counter: 0