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 5142316 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 2 slot_no: 17722126 epoch_slot_no: 269326 block_no: 5142139 slot_leader_id: 5086880 size: 7947 time: 2020-12-30 00:33:37 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xcfbb782495c957b6c773145b06069bbc9aba3211002b9a77bc46e56f69556d80Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1a45jl5tg784kr53petcrk7yfse5tj8vqj7euu3pkata706tate4shnur4g op_cert: \x2498cdf484740e1d4969fb145b0624dd183ff184ef221d9172d46069d7c389b8 op_cert_counter: 1