This Week’s Most Popular AI AssistantApplications Clawdbot The official name has had quite a “twist and turn”; it was originally “Clawdbot,” but was changed due to protests from Claude to Moltbot As a result, within just a few hours, it was changed again from Moltbot to “OpenClaw“. Founder Peter Steinberger at GitHub It was officially announced that “Openclaw has evolved into its final form.” As the project surpassed the 100,000-star milestone on GitHub, OpenClaw is now facing multiple serious challenges, including trademark law issues, online scams, and ensuring sustainability.
From Clawdbot to OpenClaw: Three Name Changes—Why Does This Super-Popular Open-Source AI Assistant Keep Changing Its Name?
Looking back at the history of OpenClaw, its name-changing journey has been quite dramatic. The project was first launched in November 2025 under the name “Clawdbot,” a name that cleverly combined a play on the name of Anthropic’s AI model “Claude” with the word “claw” (as in a Openclaw’s claw). However, after the project recently went viral, this name quickly caught the attention of Anthropic’s legal team, which demanded that it be changed to avoid trademark confusion. This past Wednesday, Steinberger finally settled on “Moltbot” as the new name, derived from the concept of a Openclaw “molting,” symbolizing the project’s growth and rebirth.
However, the renaming process encountered an unexpected obstacle:
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Usability Issues: Steinberger admitted that the pronunciation of “Moltbot” isn’t smooth enough, which hinders brand promotion.
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Malicious Fraud Attacks: On the day of the name change,Hackers quickly snapped up the related social media accounts…and issued a fake cryptocurrency called “$CLAWD.” The cryptocurrency’s market capitalization surged to $16 million (approximately NT$500 million) in a very short period of time, only to plummet to zero shortly thereafter. This classic “rug pull” scam left thousands of developers victimized and forced the development team to implement more decisive brand isolation measures.
To all crypto folks:
Please stop pinging me, stop harassing me.
I will never do a coin.
Any project that lists me as coin owner is a SCAM.
No, I will not accept fees.
You are actively damanging the project.— Peter Steinberger 🦞 (@steipete) January 27, 2026
↑Source:@termial
In the end, the team chose “OpenClaw.” Steinberger noted that the name combines “Open” (representing the open-source spirit) with “Claw” (retaining the original Openclaw brand identity). Currently, the team has completed trademark searches, purchased the domain name, and migrated the code, striving to bring this renaming controversy to a close.
The Openclaw has molted into its final form 🦞
Clawd → Moltbot → OpenClaw
100k+ GitHub stars. 2M visitors in a week.
And finally, a name that’ll stick.Your assistant. Your machine. Your rules.https://t.co/d39LXKRE9h
— OpenClaw🦞 (@openclaw) January 30, 2026
About OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot / Moltbot)
OpenClaw is a “self-hosted” local AI agent platform. Its core value lies in privacy and deep integration; users can deploy it on their personal devices and connect it to mainstream messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, Slack, iMessage, Signal, and Discord.
Unlike typical cloud assistants, OpenClaw offers the following technical features:
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Local System Access: You can perform system-level tasks through the Shell.
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Unlimited Memory: Supports long-term contextual memory.
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Comprehensive Assistant Features: From managing emails and using the calendar to screening incoming calls and making restaurant reservations—all of these tasks can be completed under the user’s supervision.
Technology Upgrades: Dual Expansion in Security and the Ecosystem
With the official naming finalized, OpenClaw has also released a major version update, focusing primarily on two key areas: “communication ecosystem” and “security.”
1. Multimodal and Model-Supported Expansion
In this release, OpenClaw has added support for Twitch and Google Chat Support for plugins has further expanded its scope as a “universal proxy.” On the model side, the project has demonstrated strong inclusivity by formally introducing KIMI K2.5 and Xiaomi MiMo-V2-Flash models, offering users a wider variety of inference engine options. In addition, the web chat interface now includes the ability to send photos directly, significantly improving the intuitiveness of the user experience.
2. The Tough Battle for Safety and Security
Security is the main focus of this update. The new version includes as many as 34 security-related code fixes and introduces a “machine-verifiable security model” . According to a related report by *Forbes*, AI agents that lack proper protection are highly vulnerable to “prompt injection” attacks. Such attacks could cause financial systems to execute unauthorized transfers, leak sensitive customer data, or even disrupt manufacturing supply chains by placing incorrect orders.
Despite the introduction of verification mechanisms, Steinberger remains realistic about the current state of the industry. He admits that prompt injection attacks remain an unsolved challenge for the entire AI industry. He emphasizes that technical tools are only part of the defense; users must combine them with robust foundational models and continuously learn security best practices.
Maintenance Challenges: The Sustainability Dilemma of Open-Source Projects
OpenClaw’s sudden rise to fame has also highlighted the concerns of open-source developers. As the founder of PSPDFKit, Steinberger—despite his extensive commercial and technical experience—admits that, faced with a project boasting 100,000 stars, “the scale of maintenance has exceeded what one person can handle.”
Currently, the project faces the following challenges:
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Dealing with the Pressure of PRs and Issues: The large number of feature requests and code contributions from the community requires a rigorous review process.
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Finance and Human Resources: Steinberger is exploring ways to provide full-time salaries to maintainers, which raises the question of how open-source projects can be transformed into sustainable business models.
According to an IBM analysis report, OpenClaw has evolved from a simple “weekend project” into “infrastructure-grade software.” Its future viability will depend on three key factors:Can security continue to be strengthened?、Can the community’s governance structure keep pace with its growth?, andIs it possible to establish a business model that supports the maintainers?. In 2026, as competition among AI agents intensifies, whether the open-source OpenClaw can maintain its foothold in the AI community and continue to expand its influence will remain a focal point of attention for the AI industry moving forward.
Source: KOCPC Chinese