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 5142230 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 17720463 epoch_slot_no: 267663 block_no: 5142053 slot_leader_id: 4556120 size: 1472 time: 2020-12-30 00:05:54 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x36b1666f4e37e416c44c4a63b2f0b73afc00d694d678634bd773fa469b7c3dbaBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1uns88afgczrqp975sadn4m4ss9ca4kq5n3ue2fu3wst9vj2yqvqqvu6zkw op_cert: \x49dd7d64af3b7566e481f852ce6c2a61ff63b76eddc95e959c706b90b06072ca op_cert_counter: 1