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 5183997 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18567908 epoch_slot_no: 251108 block_no: 5183820 slot_leader_id: 4556416 size: 6287 time: 2021-01-08 19:29:59 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x17a9a8ebeb34c4d1cc78dc36f11c4e522427a6e5f02011481180edb865f4fac9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17d54jy4dkx773tg6flm43qwj7v6ahf208wkats9ugt33mnvys7xqxpqc76 op_cert: \xebd440a58904475277f0cffa6ada4171be3818ac0219c6ca0a7e38a6449a4596 op_cert_counter: 3