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 5187517 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 8 slot_no: 18638085 epoch_slot_no: 321285 block_no: 5187340 slot_leader_id: 4555974 size: 3809 time: 2021-01-09 14:59:36 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8f09ab8d6f35989f0f596c80e097cdafbb7aaa433512ababbd3de56d92691812Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1h6dppjvlwnetf76p4n09x5rc5cfh4atyyrxfhdy0azz4rcv4p2xqfuugd3 op_cert: \x02fcd41628d47e02b7495d75f75a43e8bd33d2718ebaf9dd0a29ae7795a13887 op_cert_counter: 2