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 5185618 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18599729 epoch_slot_no: 282929 block_no: 5185441 slot_leader_id: 4555875 size: 3861 time: 2021-01-09 04:20:20 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3c8a79e9df46347f3ad7230b2fdee7155034443f04177d035f3c2950256d910dBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1080mynrknh0p3k69tlsjxrfl2csf3jaxccelvt9xl5w2cjlvastscywtac op_cert: \x1826f1b4604138696bdcf5c441a0de1bb70798f1dea147b80dfb4930342f3ad7 op_cert_counter: 4