How do Validators pay for prompts to Providers ?

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Options

• Providers supply a free of charge API key
• Providers donate to an NGO which then providers funding to each validator
• Providers directly pay each validator and the validators then create their own billing account with each provider
• Providers are required to run a special node that allows free access to any registered validator. [Related to Q4]

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For any option we choose I would prefer if the payments are outside of the core protocol. I can see a lot of situations where validators already have access to providers or are simply willing to pay to contribute their results and decoupling this makes it simpler.