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 5142426 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 17724154 epoch_slot_no: 271354 block_no: 5142249 slot_leader_id: 4556157 size: 2045 time: 2020-12-30 01:07:25 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xd1d652dc59e499c500407b76f3146c5cf8bac714a6daa62270993807ae95f79eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk14sh5zmrke03tmsucrwuz5r0e7ehgva2q5dxq8e7wxqe3af2f7ezq8e47h6 op_cert: \x3f4af96aa17f58c13ab2f644943f829bc871a95efb0c2e3e541f421f4beb8996 op_cert_counter: 6