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 5158038 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 3 slot_no: 18043070 epoch_slot_no: 158270 block_no: 5157861 slot_leader_id: 4574784 size: 1840 time: 2021-01-02 17:42:41 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x6c0871a556d9299d7716672fea5514776ab947a93362017ce60620eff4aa208aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1x3g028rycpwt779a50d8e4jgfyzrv9qtykp82ak8xnef3clx277q05les4 op_cert: \xefe3deec6b533132c8d964e3d9e1fb59f6c590320475f465f6b30b5325061f33 op_cert_counter: 2