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 5140345 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 17681416 epoch_slot_no: 228616 block_no: 5140168 slot_leader_id: 4984234 size: 1395 time: 2020-12-29 13:15:07 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8db0883390cb89a0643ab7b979f20ad73c7dbef32db7f891f2ca0bb4354d88b5Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1gewqa80x8epjqakklng3rsn5az02e8wk7k9ypexa46uwf72h5r3s2q8uf4 op_cert: \x55c8e4386d8b8621cb6df189fc29abfdf07287f88a71e902324ede20102423d6 op_cert_counter: 1