OpenClaw: Definition and Meaning

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw — formerly known as Clawdbot — is a local-first AI assistant that runs on your own hardware instead of relying entirely on cloud services. It acts as a personal gateway between you and various large language models (Claude, GPT, local models via Ollama), giving you a unified interface across all your devices and 50+ messaging platforms.

The project exploded in popularity in early 2026, reaching 100,000 GitHub stars in roughly one week — making it the fastest-growing AI project on GitHub at the time.

Renamed the project to @clawdbot and created an org, this is exploding. Discord is a mad house and there's like 30 PRs a day already. 🤯

— Peter Steinberger 🦞 (@steipete) January 4, 2026

The Clawdbot to OpenClaw name change

The project went through a rapid triple rebrand in January 2026, widely called “the fastest triple rebrand in open-source history”:

1. Clawdbot (November 2025 – January 27, 2026): The original name, a playful pun on “Claude” (Anthropic’s AI model) and “claw” (the lobster mascot). The project launched under this name and achieved explosive early growth.

2. Moltbot (January 27–29, 2026): After Anthropic’s legal team issued a trademark notice over the phonetic similarity between “Clawd” and “Claude,” Steinberger renamed the project to Moltbot — a reference to how lobsters moult to grow. The rename lasted only two days.

3. OpenClaw (January 30, 2026 – present): The community found “Moltbot” difficult to pronounce and unintuitive. After consulting trademark lawyers and running a community vote, Steinberger settled on OpenClaw. The name combines “Open” (representing the open-source spirit) with “Claw” (retaining the lobster lineage) while avoiding any trademark conflict with Anthropic.

During the transition from Clawdbot to Moltbot, a 10-second gap when the @clawdbot Twitter handle was released allowed crypto scammers to seize the abandoned account. They used it to promote a fake $CLAWD token on Solana, causing losses to unsuspecting users before the scam was shut down.

What can OpenClaw actually do?

Unlike chatbots that just answer questions, OpenClaw can take actions on your behalf:

• Email and calendar management: Draft emails, schedule meetings, handle RSVPs
• Web automation: Navigate websites, fill forms, research topics, book flights
• System control: Run shell commands, manage files, control Git repos
• Smart home integration: Control Philips Hue lights, air purifiers, and other devices
• Phone calls: With the voice plugin, OpenClaw can make calls on your behalf
• Multimedia: Generate images, transcribe voice messages, create guided meditations

The key difference from Siri or Google Assistant is that OpenClaw runs on your own infrastructure. You bring your own API keys, you control the data, and you can customize everything through a TypeScript plugin architecture.

You don't need an agent orchestrator setup. You want a personal assistant that can log into any computer, look at your terminals and type for you. @clawdbot is still clumsy, but will teach them how to access session logs...

— Peter Steinberger 🦞 (@steipete) December 30, 2025

Use case example: OpenClaw as an executive assistant

“Book me a flight to London next Tuesday, find a hotel near the conference venue, add it to my calendar, and send the itinerary to my assistant.”

This is the kind of task that would normally require several apps, browser tabs, and back-and-forth coordination. With OpenClaw configured properly, you can send this via WhatsApp or Slack and it handles the entire workflow.

For founders and execs who can’t justify a full-time human assistant but need help managing the chaos, OpenClaw offers a middle ground. It’s not perfect — it will make mistakes. But unlike a SaaS product, you can see exactly what it’s doing and tweak the behavior when it goes wrong.

How to install OpenClaw

Installation is straightforward if you’re comfortable with the command line:

npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The onboarding wizard installs a background daemon (using launchd on macOS or systemd on Linux) so OpenClaw stays running. You’ll need Node.js 22 or later.

The project is MIT-licensed and available at github.com/openclaw/openclaw.

Current status and governance

On February 14, 2026, Steinberger announced he would be joining OpenAI to work on agentic AI infrastructure. OpenClaw was transferred to an independent open-source foundation to ensure project continuity. By that point, the repository had accumulated over 190,000 GitHub stars.

The project now operates under a foundation governance model similar to Linux and Kubernetes, with community maintainers leading development.

Origin of the name

The project started as a personal AI assistant Peter Steinberger built for himself, originally named “Clawd” as a playful pun on “Claude.” The lobster emoji became the unofficial mascot of the project and community.

When the project was open-sourced and started gaining traction in late 2025, Steinberger renamed it to “Clawdbot” and created a GitHub organization to manage the flood of contributions. The final rename to “OpenClaw” in January 2026 was intended as a permanent, trademark-safe identity for the project.

Had such a hard time explaining @clawdbot on Twitter. Must be experienced to understand.

— Peter Steinberger 🦞 (@steipete) January 4, 2026

Related terms and variations

• Clawdbot: The original project name (November 2025 – January 2026), now redirects here
• Moltbot: Brief interim name used January 27–29, 2026
• Clawd: The earliest project name before it was open-sourced
• Personal AI gateway: The generic term for what OpenClaw does
• Local agent: A broader category of AI assistants that run on your own hardware
• Agentic AI: AI systems that can take actions, not just generate text

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant that runs on your own hardware. It connects to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Slack, and iMessage, and can execute real tasks like sending emails, booking flights, managing calendars, and controlling your computer. It was originally called Clawdbot before being renamed in January 2026.

Why was Clawdbot renamed to OpenClaw?

In January 2026, Anthropic's legal team sent a trademark notice because 'Clawd' was too similar to their AI product 'Claude.' Creator Peter Steinberger first renamed the project to Moltbot on January 27, then to OpenClaw on January 30. The name 'OpenClaw' combines 'Open' (for open-source) with 'Claw' (honoring the lobster heritage) while avoiding any trademark conflict.

Is OpenClaw free?

Yes, OpenClaw is free and open-source under the MIT license. However, you'll need to bring your own API keys for the underlying AI models (like Claude or GPT), which have their own costs. The software itself costs nothing.

How do I install OpenClaw?

Install via npm with 'npm install -g openclaw@latest' followed by 'openclaw onboard --install-daemon'. You'll need Node.js 22 or later. The onboarding wizard handles the rest.