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 5179532 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18477161 epoch_slot_no: 160361 block_no: 5179355 slot_leader_id: 4569152 size: 4252 time: 2021-01-07 18:17:32 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x486de11c4320f62a4ed00360cd228394e0ba234c4ef95ebe1fe9cd35c14b9aaaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dgwa4jajp6558sdvlrkmgjqkem5z8tl8fxe2hhve6erzr905yumqk5npjh op_cert: \x0af18b307ea1a0bd37bee66dca5ad4b10aa3d47da572f9cfacd79d82c6012e54 op_cert_counter: 2