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 5146559 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 17809138 epoch_slot_no: 356338 block_no: 5146382 slot_leader_id: 4861226 size: 1656 time: 2020-12-31 00:43:49 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xacfebdfcbb8f2442a86ff11ffb6ce33feacf106de43561cfb00d39c231f7c400Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sptnr6ls6ptquhx09phjv7tqmqatlrgze8k8mwfld6xqsqylvt4sza2fl4 op_cert: \x6ab3b8d47f79d64040043ca24a1a5c6a0ccd68c418a39e4499d61727c4aca4cc op_cert_counter: 2