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 5179678 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18480217 epoch_slot_no: 163417 block_no: 5179501 slot_leader_id: 4556351 size: 6590 time: 2021-01-07 19:08:28 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdf678afd98ae346346fdc9d1a85e3c80c2451ce69b1f33e23361c4bdcb41ee0eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1vpf2x74q4rz5ypeekn4vx7rnddfygwjg2mgkukmgque84c7dhyxqgz7zas op_cert: \xc0355c1c380eaca343b46f14dd0d62e3d8db9c1491e6dd0c10b3dd2e3dc062e7 op_cert_counter: 10