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 5142736 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 17730229 epoch_slot_no: 277429 block_no: 5142559 slot_leader_id: 4556117 size: 3772 time: 2020-12-30 02:48:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xa3dd16938bd35a0eaeb5934df0f9592cd1594b91cb5d65c946e875b287c01d3fBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1c2lexrd2suefkzu06y3u0hkxvfau9avdvcj9mf6m7se6n5s3r73s6h0rc4 op_cert: \x67bd8a7d8581355c2440976ecf0bfd83c06b79323475f24f67aca19201c401dd op_cert_counter: 2