ClawdBot Creator Disowns Crypto After Scammers Hijack AI Project Rebrand
Peter Steinberger, the creator of the open-source AI assistant ClawdBot, has publicly rejected any association with crypto. This is after scammers hijacked his online identity to promote fake token projects.
The controversy erupted following ClawdBot’s rebrand to Moltbot, a move Steinberger says was forced by trademark concerns raised by Anthropic and later exploited by crypto promoters.
AI Founder Draws a Hard Line as Crypto Scammers Hijack His IdentityIn a series of posts on X (Twitter), Steinberger made his position unequivocal, articulating that he would never do a coin.
“Any project that lists me as a coin owner is a SCAM. No, I will not accept fees. You are actively damaging the project,” he wrote.
Steinberger added that he has never issued tokens, does not endorse any crypto initiative, and will not accept deployment or endorsement fees under any circumstances.
The situation traces back to ClawdBot’s rise in visibility within AI developer circles. The self-hostable AI agent gained attention for its always-on capabilities, prompting discussions around both its utility and its risks.
As the project grew, Anthropic raised trademark concerns about the “ClawdBot” name. This forced Steinberger to rebrand it as Moltbot, a nod to the lobster-themed assistant “molting” into a new identity.