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 5162576 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 1 slot_no: 18135366 epoch_slot_no: 250566 block_no: 5162399 slot_leader_id: 4572916 size: 4240 time: 2021-01-03 19:20:57 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xbbee6c556ca7d1526ef376b019bb080fd732bccae65f561968411eeb0587ebafBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1sh946l2qfxu5q8xu7sw3xmp07d4ph764frje3qm0p2wy6pu08u2qxwxfqw op_cert: \xa71bba64fef96286443d23a1f4e68a193df9d637ca13147e50c72e2c84245357 op_cert_counter: 3