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 5148243 Details
Epoch: 238 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 17843623 epoch_slot_no: 390823 block_no: 5148066 slot_leader_id: 4630078 size: 570 time: 2020-12-31 10:18:34 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x5516caead609ee5859a9d1f53c46fca114e0e9b7d4fcd23d6dea9b7a257ff90eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk177scr85eeu7ma3uzx5d69pglcsqjcjaxrkwl228rd75phaxgetyqls072n op_cert: \xd8475f2a7c5ac4fbc86e350b1f0238522595d88533d6c8debb11e9450e065d5d op_cert_counter: 3