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 5157578 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18034397 epoch_slot_no: 149597 block_no: 5157401 slot_leader_id: 4572864 size: 3171 time: 2021-01-02 15:18:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xf1ce984f24c722896b39536394e1ac58417412f641d2e8e9c15374e8e2ed3fa1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1dvumtjl4aw02v0wscezwtq93m47er2zktlwvha2s20fcrd9hdr3q2zsxy6 op_cert: \x60cf8a54049d3d4eae26b1133997e8217abd9db533059c699891e4e3d3d35c0b op_cert_counter: 2