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 5178984 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18466105 epoch_slot_no: 149305 block_no: 5178807 slot_leader_id: 4558133 size: 5153 time: 2021-01-07 15:13:16 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x104196a1d239ac6076479dead0b2782c18660a56e299397812c14df819716fe9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sq2mwyjxq4x8a8xkguduwlg2mqk37nznxyg63dx0jeq50w3c79xs06vq58 op_cert: \x1fcaba8a63da1abbb399cd843003bd348917e5b9064852d67eb369eaa03f9dbd op_cert_counter: 2