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 5186508 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18617672 epoch_slot_no: 300872 block_no: 5186331 slot_leader_id: 4565763 size: 1491 time: 2021-01-09 09:19:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xacac867e51edf1cbe347018645df33a91e1032ab87da3a5e2b7ac2a2bd4a18eeBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1d9k2lfgxss8ccrscemg4z52gmtg9mvdrvmqdyweqzdyhzmaugk3q3jmg2z op_cert: \x69fdcf9ad622e5986b81e45af84046e3185423f301dcbadfa641c3f987116380 op_cert_counter: 5