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 5138086 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 17636511 epoch_slot_no: 183711 block_no: 5137909 slot_leader_id: 4558666 size: 2977 time: 2020-12-29 00:46:42 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x46605e6f9bcfeec4140a985501a43b37532c8c5382e20254ea1f37f260fa3cdaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1s3hssxtpjdjc9amqn9wqn6dfyzujsv8jrk6pkl4esfpp99v48ujsflsn70 op_cert: \x6576001f04817d88fdc03c5727de604b4d320a3102cf1c462063324aa09e2c81 op_cert_counter: 2