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 5146218 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 17801654 epoch_slot_no: 348854 block_no: 5146041 slot_leader_id: 4640685 size: 591 time: 2020-12-30 22:39:05 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x2be9d2baed9d22303ad83d9e3f969dcedf0604ebd1244be660d14646b7c50bc9Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk12fjnfgfyqpdqu9tl6rjlyn63anxc49yptvyxfya2fd202p9gmxksnlzvk7 op_cert: \xb61d07a19a6d4e389edebf418390d42917854a820b788901c8f58232983be650 op_cert_counter: 1