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 5617234 Details
Epoch: 261 Number of transactions in block: 17 slot_no: 27393861 epoch_slot_no: 5061 block_no: 5617057 slot_leader_id: 5386574 size: 8940 time: 2021-04-20 23:09:12 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x72f4c3684874186f4f0d2466cc239892b9b32bfb9503b484b54c19ca29007326Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tcr4cy5x0y4j2x7gjf899a3drwmursxmzmz25r52xn97mhllz8fsncn8w2 op_cert: \x819baf0d21049b95bf36142135a2183107dc8d3491b649f927e79ad223b2f7fb op_cert_counter: 0