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 5179698 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18480736 epoch_slot_no: 163936 block_no: 5179521 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 294 time: 2021-01-07 19:17:07 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x73008c67c5f2b2129fd9a5f4727dcab56f001bd3ee323b95b1411877445ec185Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \x60cf8a54049d3d4eae26b1133997e8217abd9db533059c699891e4e3d3d35c0b op_cert_counter: 2