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 5187478 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 18637286 epoch_slot_no: 320486 block_no: 5187301 slot_leader_id: 5152360 size: 6693 time: 2021-01-09 14:46:17 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcd4156e742ff8fa0c426f36f9505a91722f5b5ef8899affdd5c7370a9cfd3b39Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1pmxyz8efuyj6eq6zkk373f28u47v06nwp5t59jr5fcmcusaazlmqhxu8k2 op_cert: \x706a60699626eafa6d03b0941639328473e6dda8d3e729464c7c4ea9358aa90b op_cert_counter: 1