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 5040856 Details
Epoch: 233 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 15651830 epoch_slot_no: 359030 block_no: 5040679 slot_leader_id: 4556117 size: 1688 time: 2020-12-06 01:28:41 proto_major: 2 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x0ca5d6d36068d13c22808d056edee5667413feba50ac44678f5031a0fa9cd312Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c2lexrd2suefkzu06y3u0hkxvfau9avdvcj9mf6m7se6n5s3r73s6h0rc4 op_cert: \x41f841ab048927b1a6fdf09deebcde3b94620145f69980d70da5628ad483b440 op_cert_counter: 1