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 5180196 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 12 slot_no: 18490791 epoch_slot_no: 173991 block_no: 5180019 slot_leader_id: 4568578 size: 13131 time: 2021-01-07 22:04:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x51ad4867a180bbdbac1c0ac499eb6e7a531141108bcfd8fdb0c14013c8edfd47Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1eu03uqm2tz5t9r5lq36skujppyhnshj0a3exf87wz979tqjvtv4qs2dfj8 op_cert: \x47927b5ab44e3ddf12dc7cf91ca75a7472fcd13fddb80ecbd642a6dd1df3b3c1 op_cert_counter: 4