The team behind the fastest-growing open-source AI agent in history has announced its permanent identity as OpenClaw, marking the conclusion of a rapid rebranding cycle driven by trademark compliance and community feedback. The project's official web presence has migrated to https://openclaw.my, replacing the previous Moltbot domain as the project seeks long-term stability after three name changes in three days.
The path to OpenClaw began with the project's original launch in late 2025 as Clawd, a name referencing the lobster mascot seen during Anthropic's Claude loading screens. Following a "friendly suggestion" from Anthropic's legal team regarding trademark similarities, the team pivoted immediately to respect intellectual property boundaries. On January 27, 2026, during a 5:00 AM brainstorm on Discord, the community settled on Moltbot, with "molt" symbolizing the process of a lobster shedding its shell to represent growth. However, this name proved technically complex and led to domain squatting and fraudulent cryptocurrency tokens attempting to capitalize on the confusion.
"In biology, 'molting' is a transitional phase—a vulnerable process of shedding a shell to allow for growth. Moltbot was exactly that: a necessary transition state," said the OpenClaw team in a statement. "But one does not stay in the molting phase forever. You molt to emerge stronger, harder, and more capable. OpenClaw represents that final, hardened form." The new name combines "Open" to reflect the open-source mission with "Claw" to honor the project's roots, creating what the team describes as a clear, legally sound identity.
For those new to the project, OpenClaw is the direct evolution of Clawdbot, the tool that redefined local AI automation upon its release in late 2025. Originally designed to run autonomous tasks locally, Clawdbot became an overnight viral sensation, celebrated for empowering developers to run sophisticated AI agents on their own hardware without relying on gated cloud APIs. It famously sparked a surge in Mac Mini purchases as enthusiasts built dedicated "home labs" for their agents. By adopting the name OpenClaw, the project honors this 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, according to founder Peter Steinberger. "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 this has caused our contributors and users," Steinberger said. "However, in open source, we fix bugs fast—whether they are in the code or in the brand. We realized 'Moltbot' was a patch, not a platform. OpenClaw is the platform."
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 has been vetted to ensure it can coexist peacefully with major industry players, making the repository safe for corporate adoption. The codebase remains accessible at https://github.com/openclaw, where it is maintained by a global community of developers dedicated to transparent AI.
