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 5040417 Details
Epoch: 233 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 15642506 epoch_slot_no: 349706 block_no: 5040240 slot_leader_id: 4570659 size: 2394 time: 2020-12-05 22:53:17 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf45c6cb0d76d607cd4ea3e6716190e60818791358dbf7aa2853273d8c53a4cf8Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1qmyw2hyfh8jvgqcfe9kuwjz5506g0z4hamq29x7t8g2rr7cez0zsnrs793 op_cert: \xe28e31b477d6d23821ddd7fd61098ac6f39de656987dff8e930088bc5b27e500 op_cert_counter: 3