Do users need a wallet to search?

No. Normal API-key and MCP usage does not require a wallet. x402 callers use a wallet because the agent pays per request. BNB Agent callers use a buyer wallet because the job is an onchain ERC-8183 transaction flow.

Do MCP hosts need an API key?

Yes. The MCP server reads OPTIMAI_API_KEY and sends it to the External Search API. See Search MCP.

Does x402 need an OptimAI API key?

No. The x402 SDK expects an EVM or Solana payer private key and signs the payment headers required by the server.

Does BNB Agent need an OptimAI API key?

No. The buyer funds an ERC-8183 job on BSC mainnet with U and pays transaction gas in BNB. See BNB Agent.

Are BNB Agent results private?

No. V1 result manifests are publicly retrievable. Do not put confidential queries, credentials, or secrets in a job description.

Why start and poll instead of waiting?

Search can take longer than host tool timeouts. Starting first and polling by ID is more reliable and lets another worker continue the operation.

Where do answers come from?

OptimAI nodes gather sources from the open web and social platforms, then the AI agent synthesizes an answer with citations.

Can another worker fetch a paid x402 Search?

Yes, if it has the search ID and the original paymentContext returned by createSearch().