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 5185485 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18596923 epoch_slot_no: 280123 block_no: 5185308 slot_leader_id: 4579330 size: 6826 time: 2021-01-09 03:33:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x868afe993a58954d0a4049c9ce4b7da21575f59b696fe4b432c7c5bacdc28b96Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk17hff333krucx82wjdhnwnfvusg8p4zn22lwmf2pmd2e5mghu52hqvpf8qj op_cert: \x9aa822db0563b20639d3879c54aae8b5fda93d32b90aa9eb6a8f2ad13f8885fe op_cert_counter: 2