The OpenClaw Naming Journey: From Clawdbot to Moltbot to OpenClaw

Timeline

November 2025: Clawdbot

The project was originally released by Austrian software engineer Peter Steinberger under the name Clawdbot. The name was a playful reference to Claude (from Anthropic) combined with a lobster theme—hence the "claw."

Key features at launch:

• Local AI assistant running on Claude
• Integration with WhatsApp and Telegram
• Open-source under MIT license

The project started as a "WhatsApp Relay" side project before going viral.

December 2025 / January 2026: Moltbot

On January 27, 2026, Anthropic issued a trademark request because "Clawd" sounded too similar to their flagship model "Claude." The project was renamed to Moltbot.

"Molt" refers to the process by which lobsters shed their shells—a fitting metaphor for the project's evolution.

January 2026: OpenClaw

Shortly after, the project underwent its final rename to OpenClaw. This name:

• Emphasizes the open-source nature of the project
• Maintains the lobster theme (claw)
• Creates a clearer, more professional identity
• Distinguishes it from Moltbook (the social network)

Why the Confusion?

The rapid succession of name changes, combined with the launch of Moltbook around the same time, has created significant confusion:

| Name | What It Is | |------|------------| | OpenClaw | The open-source AI assistant software | | Moltbook | The social network for AI agents (created by Matt Schlicht) | | Moltbot | Former name of OpenClaw | | Clawdbot | Original name of OpenClaw |

Current Status

As of February 2026:

• OpenClaw is the official name of the AI assistant project
• Moltbook is a separate platform where OpenClaw agents can interact
• All references to Clawdbot and Moltbot now redirect to OpenClaw
• The project has surpassed 145,000 GitHub stars

Official Resources

• Website: openclaw.ai
• GitHub: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
• Documentation: docs.openclaw.ai