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 5139948 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 17673679 epoch_slot_no: 220879 block_no: 5139771 slot_leader_id: 4861226 size: 402 time: 2020-12-29 11:06:10 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd43aa572fcff5c537e0ada87df7e91bc5e8b79e51d0e3367e38066305319b0a2Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sptnr6ls6ptquhx09phjv7tqmqatlrgze8k8mwfld6xqsqylvt4sza2fl4 op_cert: \x4b8d41d033a67a8e0876e23ccc5cafd238b912a95922038620c0b7b54fbbb584 op_cert_counter: 1