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 5138830 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 17651132 epoch_slot_no: 198332 block_no: 5138653 slot_leader_id: 4558367 size: 306 time: 2020-12-29 04:50:23 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8d3950bca2618eb8b699d1d73ce228a4bdfc8f4ba2028030c158b35cbaaaee7fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nkf2z3s4sm00xtme6n7yxwdaye0dhwpz8zptyh22u9ex4pnugzmsulqnd6 op_cert: \x446a699bd57f3c25b136ff059f8bd837e7a9104e11cd4f42754cf23d3cde9046 op_cert_counter: 3