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 5185973 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18606849 epoch_slot_no: 290049 block_no: 5185796 slot_leader_id: 4649278 size: 1669 time: 2021-01-09 06:19:00 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x81f4200117db677ea9425d851d490e8f329edded642794da2361b1d14f07b738Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1w6yvmvcgg85j8gd9thd7dmkwp22kqv4ngvufgxgreuxhgwunl8mquu5f5h op_cert: \xb682e7932e904d3e2f63c458068346014d34e54929b5a3429f2ab381bfe31d3d op_cert_counter: 1