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 5086978 Details
Epoch: 236 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 16594758 epoch_slot_no: 5958 block_no: 5086801 slot_leader_id: 4555611 size: 969 time: 2020-12-16 23:24:09 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5972157de330b669b057cbeb8fcd448c31038878edfd89be88ec955fed15854fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1g4szjxfzun99644w6xyx0855jzfnxp7ch3cz55d4uakl66xaw7hqh84zte op_cert: \x9cf658c96850a4e1d2e267cb1a178b00d6b13906001b6be851387cf157dc8c3a op_cert_counter: 4