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 5186423 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18615758 epoch_slot_no: 298958 block_no: 5186246 slot_leader_id: 4557324 size: 1349 time: 2021-01-09 08:47:29 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3f470ad792809e7d08c2e21772c8773021516b629764b3eac17604dd2cdc977aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1skdrf0m3zwdl5udrvfjuwhe72qau4wnv552c7ttmsqvw0uu6hgcqw3h20c op_cert: \x691cad1451bb551c244ff0a83189b145a28c75b138a582aaf4dbb90baa97bc18 op_cert_counter: 1