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 5162956 Details
Epoch: 239 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 18143088 epoch_slot_no: 258288 block_no: 5162779 slot_leader_id: 4841475 size: 4323 time: 2021-01-03 21:29:39 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x1ec4514913e70bce37ecdb730ad70f225ac7cdb5572549eb1e04fc19a75e5a2cBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1zg7cd6kjaynq3ahz8vum3aajddlmzueu5pd5uqt365895uetxp7sn57yuh op_cert: \xe793193803dbc6bf601e7e572b2f93a7d9334f6efe838e3c962477630a200edc op_cert_counter: 2