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 5180165 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18490258 epoch_slot_no: 173458 block_no: 5179988 slot_leader_id: 4584561 size: 2449 time: 2021-01-07 21:55:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc93d87c0e460ff6c6e39219e340e0cfe9ccea36b667eb5d308ea1b1d7fac5ef6Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1mskafut6s42kyhseelfyfr9uzyj5esm8233xy8z9z58d5kkdkzdsenc2tg op_cert: \x5940d13d69ffe27e5f36add793917809ddc676e309242cf2ec629d4395622542 op_cert_counter: 19