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 5142096 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 17717573 epoch_slot_no: 264773 block_no: 5141919 slot_leader_id: 5087834 size: 628 time: 2020-12-29 23:17:44 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc6648314200605553979eaed7bed108a26e911e99fcc5d65f52b187634bce6ecBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c9enrdq7hcfhahy6nquktuucgtp59vz35x905mujjhugkj59y3pqs9sdk4 op_cert: \x157103be6710d42e116b357bae14477305de885d947aa10a703d87e9b11b4a53 op_cert_counter: 1