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 5185657 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18600558 epoch_slot_no: 283758 block_no: 5185480 slot_leader_id: 5150339 size: 2606 time: 2021-01-09 04:34:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x553e830dbc717438c6868098e480969d992d58bffcef492cde4a2b1be65fb15eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12u53fs72qflkaellznc7f3grwxzejy5vlkl0jwnesfsnrce97cuq7gl5e6 op_cert: \xb78fc7962c1a716929404cc2aea447fe4f4c6250e24cb1a39565f49877acc645 op_cert_counter: 0