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 5138698 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 17648774 epoch_slot_no: 195974 block_no: 5138521 slot_leader_id: 4938703 size: 3706 time: 2020-12-29 04:11:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8288cbe33cd5c43fc33617e8d84d3599e5341f093d39e94e116b281c65b988c3Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1l5ep7td55ptk98y02sf6nv9xldmhsx29qvcgsuajym9cqha47egqsseda9 op_cert: \xeaab7ea2949860d1a8fdbb7713e062df7572937820d2abfbbb11ddb60cad6a12 op_cert_counter: 0