The team behind the fastest-growing open-source AI agent in history, which gained viral attention as Clawdbot and briefly as Moltbot, today announced the project's permanent identity: OpenClaw. Effective immediately, the official web presence has migrated from moltdbot.youto openclaw.my, concluding a rapid rebranding cycle driven by trademark compliance, community feedback, and a commitment to long-term stability.
The journey to OpenClaw began in late 2025 with the name Clawd, a playful nod to the lobster mascot seen during Anthropic's Claude loading screens. After a friendly suggestion from Anthropic's legal team regarding trademark similarities, the team pivoted to respect intellectual property boundaries. On January 27, 2026, the community settled on Moltbot—derived from the process of a lobster shedding its shell to symbolize growth. However, the name led to domain squatting and fraudulent cryptocurrency tokens. Learning from the chaos, the team conducted rigorous trademark searches and secured necessary infrastructure before launching OpenClaw. The name combines Open, reflecting the open-source mission, with Claw, honoring the project's roots.
The transition from Clawdbot to Moltbot was a necessary reaction to external concerns, but the move to OpenClaw is a proactive strategic choice. In biology, molting is a transitional phase of vulnerability; Moltbot was exactly that. OpenClaw represents the final, hardened form. The project originally redefined local AI automation, empowering developers to run sophisticated AI agents on their own hardware without relying on gated cloud APIs. It sparked a surge in Mac Mini purchases as enthusiasts built dedicated home labs for their agents. By adopting the name OpenClaw, the project honors its explosive heritage while explicitly signaling a future built on open standards and transparency.
The decision to rebrand twice in 72 hours reflects a radical commitment to agility. Following the shift to Moltbot, developer feedback indicated a desire for a name that sounded less like a biological process and more like enterprise-grade infrastructure. Additionally, OpenClaw has been vetted to coexist peacefully with major industry players, ensuring the repository remains safe for corporate adoption. Founder Peter Steinberger addressed the community: I will be the first to admit: changing a brand name three times in three days is not standard operating procedure. I apologize for the whiplash. However, in open source, we fix bugs fast—whether in the code or in the brand. We realized Moltbot was a patch, not a platform. OpenClaw is the platform. We have locked this in, and our new home at openclaw.my is ready.
With the identity crisis resolved, OpenClaw is refocusing on its technical roadmap to democratize local AI automation, allowing developers to run powerful, self-improving agents on consumer hardware. The project is available now at its new address, and users are encouraged to update their bookmarks and CLI tools. OpenClaw is an open-source, local-first AI automation agent designed to perform complex tasks autonomously, maintained by a global community dedicated to transparent AI.
