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 5142417 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 7 slot_no: 17723916 epoch_slot_no: 271116 block_no: 5142240 slot_leader_id: 4743148 size: 3065 time: 2020-12-30 01:03:27 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x3baae078c1ef632bfa8376e6d2cf0d395f44bdcfd60fa2db75a4e90f030ef7e4Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1alqcynwcwuwusfyh5e3hgr2sfa2mmphpz5kct6666v7q5epg6g0qztkapz op_cert: \x91d0983ecd4a4548f092de87177beee0945fded7619b20bdd657ea4f3675348b op_cert_counter: 2