OpenClaw bans keywords like "Bitcoin" and "Crypto" due to token controversy, with the founder distancing itself from the crypto industry

MarsBitNews · 2026-02-22T10:05:24+00:00

OpenClaw attracted attention due to the token controversy. After its account was hijacked, a fake token CLAWD appeared, and its market capitalization briefly surged before crashing. The founder emphasized that no tokens are issued, and the official has banned discussions related to cryptocurrencies. Although the project community is expanding, they are maintaining a distance from the crypto space.

MarsBitNews

2026-02-22 10:05:24

Abstract generation in progress

Mars Finance reports that on February 22, the open-source AI agent framework OpenClaw recently attracted attention due to a token controversy. The project encountered account hijacking during its rebranding process, with scammers issuing a fake Solana-based token called CLAWD. The market cap once soared to $16 million before plummeting over 90% after the founder denied any association. OpenClaw was initiated by developer Peter Steinberger, originally named “Clawdbot.” After receiving trademark warnings for its similarity to the Claude model under Anthropic, it briefly rebranded as “Moltbot” before settling on OpenClaw. During the transition period when the old GitHub and X accounts were released and the new accounts had not yet been handed over, scammers registered the accounts and launched the CLAWD token, triggering speculative trading. Steinberger later publicly stated he would never issue tokens and emphasized that any project issuing tokens in his name is a scam. Following the incident, the official OpenClaw Discord server has fully banned mentions of keywords like “Bitcoin” and “crypto,” even in neutral technical discussions. One user was removed for referencing Bitcoin block height for benchmarking. Currently, Steinberger has joined OpenAI to oversee the personal agent division, while OpenClaw has transitioned to operate as an independent open-source foundation. Despite ongoing controversy, the project community continues to expand, but the official stance is clear: maintain distance from the crypto space.

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

1 Likes