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 5180546 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 9 slot_no: 18497811 epoch_slot_no: 181011 block_no: 5180369 slot_leader_id: 4662751 size: 13054 time: 2021-01-08 00:01:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf4ac3d8fddea5b445cac98545d48a420b98ef10c2b87bc18f516b59778b639d1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wytjcwdhdzscs33j6qzp9vtq4z9eg7s335x2r6n0mx6cskk9m76qkkk3j2 op_cert: \x0bd096cb4a25ed5354dbb6a8aab8f9dc81549a4fe27fbb51144e768e0d1a4d17 op_cert_counter: 1