OpenClaw Rebrand History: The Complete Naming Journey

If you’ve been following the AI assistant space, you’ve witnessed quite the naming journey. Here’s the complete history of how OpenClaw came to be.

NOTE

Current Name: The project is now called OpenClaw as of January 29, 2026. This is the final name with proper trademark clearance.

The Naming Timeline

Nov 2025: Clawdbot launches
Jan 26, 2026: Moltbot rebrand (trademark concerns)
Jan 29, 2026: OpenClaw rebrand (final name)

Chapter 1: Clawdbot (Nov 2025 - Jan 26, 2026)

The original name was a playful pun on “Claude” combined with a claw, fitting the lobster mascot theme. Clawdbot launched in November 2025 and quickly gained popularity.

Why It Changed

Clawdbot → Moltbot happened due to trademark concerns:

The name “Clawd” was too similar to “Claude”
Anthropic’s legal team requested a name change
International trademark registration conflicts

Chapter 2: Moltbot (Jan 26-29, 2026)

Moltbot was a transitional name, chosen to maintain the lobster theme (“molting” being how lobsters shed their shells to grow).

Why It Changed Again

Just three days later, Moltbot → OpenClaw occurred because:

OpenClaw better captured the open-source, community-driven nature
Trademark searches came back fully clear
The domain openclaw.ai was secured
Migration tooling was prepared in advance

Chapter 3: OpenClaw (Jan 29, 2026 - Present)

OpenClaw is the final name, combining:

Open: The project’s open-source, community-driven values
Claw: Honoring the beloved lobster mascot 🦞

According to founder Peter Steinberger: “Some things are sacred” - referring to the lobster.

What Actually Changed?

Only The Name

Aspect	Changed?	Details
Binary name	Yes	`clawdbot` → `moltbot` → `openclaw`
npm package	Yes	Now `openclaw`
Config paths	Yes	Now `~/.openclaw/`
Core functionality	No	Identical behavior
Security model	No	Same protections (+ auth:none removed)
Plugin system	No	Same plugins work

Critical Security Update

CAUTION

With the OpenClaw release, auth: "none" mode was permanently removed due to security incidents. See the migration guide for details.

Migration Path

If You’re On Clawdbot

npm uninstall -g clawdbot
npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw migrate --from-clawdbot

If You’re On Moltbot

npm uninstall -g moltbot
npm install -g openclaw@latest
openclaw migrate --from-moltbot

Complete Guide

See the OpenClaw Migration Guide for detailed instructions.

Official Resources

Website: openclaw.ai
Documentation: docs.openclaw.ai
GitHub: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
Discord: discord.gg/clawd

OpenClaw Announcement - Full details on the final rebrand
Security Fundamentals - Applies to all versions

The lobster has molted into its final form. Long live OpenClaw! 🦞