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 5188717 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18662319 epoch_slot_no: 345519 block_no: 5188540 slot_leader_id: 4556264 size: 1810 time: 2021-01-09 21:43:30 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x33459835601392c4f5d562acceb83fa4817d3897423dfc53d62d724cf355a8ffBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x8944k6j572wpdtz4tn3l9pam2ddhp6an35ma4ug9mr2rvqflz3shpaj36 op_cert: \xbc6f0d0508796bfbd782cdde83e0576c17cafa883d3b96a4b36d737483dbdd37 op_cert_counter: 2