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 5162538 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 6 slot_no: 18134389 epoch_slot_no: 249589 block_no: 5162361 slot_leader_id: 4557401 size: 4234 time: 2021-01-03 19:04:40 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xc6db98e426d593d402c9d7ef631020ea686df80ced28369cbb2c5a8f68520087Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1m3gs8np7hsw3lrcwrfgvl2c2dsmrdysdmnwlndpyu5x4mwqumpqsx8582a op_cert: \xd9925e53bcbfeb99eaf66ef86523735afb8c22bc453c239bf1f79b9bac0efc35 op_cert_counter: 5