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 5140222 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 17679210 epoch_slot_no: 226410 block_no: 5140045 slot_leader_id: 4598518 size: 2478 time: 2020-12-29 12:38:21 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x40a24bee89f1cc89c17726ec8306149dade6e99c1beecde6ec4260ee0baf6d1eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1f8ugl3vv734dx4c3k23wtqya2pcec7gjv7mamcth2qwqhcr45fdsw9lugj op_cert: \xf4af415ad14b2d427f837e3e18863fa3861db0864ab0922e177a6aeef7b08a8a op_cert_counter: 4