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 5162123 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 4 slot_no: 18126257 epoch_slot_no: 241457 block_no: 5161946 slot_leader_id: 4558367 size: 1387 time: 2021-01-03 16:49:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x03a127f45e4762ec4f20961e29390109bf9219181ec865bf5453f164d7523e3eBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1nkf2z3s4sm00xtme6n7yxwdaye0dhwpz8zptyh22u9ex4pnugzmsulqnd6 op_cert: \x446a699bd57f3c25b136ff059f8bd837e7a9104e11cd4f42754cf23d3cde9046 op_cert_counter: 3