The team behind the fastest-growing open-source AI agent in history, formerly known as Clawdbot and briefly as Moltbot, has announced its permanent identity: OpenClaw. Effective immediately, the project's official web presence has migrated from moltbot.my to openclaw.my. This move marks the conclusion of a rapid-fire rebranding cycle driven by trademark compliance, community feedback, and a commitment to long-term stability.
The path to OpenClaw was forged through a series of rapid-fire iterations. Originally launched in late 2025 as Clawd, the project was a playful nod to 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. On January 27, 2026, during a 5:00 AM brainstorm on Discord, the community settled on Moltbot—"molt" referring to the process of a lobster shedding its shell to symbolize growth. However, the name proved technically complex and led to a "Wild West" of domain squatting and fraudulent cryptocurrency tokens attempting to capitalize on the confusion. Learning from the chaos, the team conducted rigorous trademark searches and secured the necessary infrastructure before launching OpenClaw, which 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 trademark concerns, but the move to OpenClaw is a proactive strategic choice. "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." 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.
The decision to rebrand twice in 72 hours—and migrate domains just as quickly—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. To ensure the project can scale without future legal friction, OpenClaw has been vetted to coexist peacefully with major industry players, ensuring the repository remains safe for corporate adoption. Peter Steinberger, founder of OpenClaw, addressed the community regarding the rapid changes: "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. 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. The project aims to democratize local AI automation, allowing developers to run powerful, self-improving agents on consumer hardware. OpenClaw is available now at its new address, and users are encouraged to update their bookmarks and CLI tools immediately.
