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 5178974 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18465889 epoch_slot_no: 149089 block_no: 5178797 slot_leader_id: 4943882 size: 7248 time: 2021-01-07 15:09:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcc21db69c1db420d2a75d414538ee34b92ab3034faff97973668eff25eaac7edBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1ytunls0jtlwj52v26a2m79av25tjdhv3uc4lgllsxqwd7ynqjeyqez82j2 op_cert: \xa03ce9745998f5140103d3058aee83d4cbc3dcb5ad33c1e4c809a63910ce2fb2 op_cert_counter: 1