ClawdBot Renamed to Moltbot: Understand the Renaming Reasons, New Address, and 5 Core Functions in 3 Minutes

ClawdBot is officially Moltbot now! As the fastest-growing AI assistant project on GitHub, it was forced to undergo a rebranding because its name was too similar to Anthropic's Claude trademark. This article will break down the full story behind the name change and how newcomers can quickly get started with Moltbot.

Core Value: A 3-minute guide to the transition from ClawdBot to Moltbot, including official resource links and getting started tips.

Quick Facts on the Moltbot Renaming

On January 27, 2026, ClawdBot founder Peter Steinberger announced that the project is officially rebranding to Moltbot. This is one of the most high-profile rebranding events in the open-source community recently.

Moltbot Renaming Timeline

Why ClawdBot Rebranded to Moltbot

The Core Reason: Anthropic's Trademark Protection

The name "Clawd" was just too similar to Anthropic's flagship product, "Claude." In January 2026, Anthropic's legal team sent a trademark notice to the ClawdBot project, requesting a name change.

Peter Steinberger shared in the announcement:

"Anthropic asked us to change our name (trademark stuff), and honestly? 'Molt' fits perfectly — it's what lobsters do."

How the Name Moltbot Came to Be

The community dove into a heated discussion on Discord, pitching hundreds of potential names:

Ultimately, Moltbot won out because "molting" is exactly how lobsters grow—this project "molted" from Clawd into Moltbot, symbolizing growth and evolution.

Chaos During the Moltbot Rebrand

The transition wasn't all smooth sailing. When Peter tried to switch the GitHub organization name and the Twitter handle simultaneously, things got messy:

• Within 10 seconds: The old @clawdbot handle was snatched up by a crypto scammer.
• Scammer activity: They immediately used the squatting account to promote a fake token.
• Fake Token: The token's market cap actually hit $16 million before crashing 90%.
• Official Statement: The Moltbot team has explicitly denied issuing any kind of token.

🎯 Security Reminder: Moltbot official has never issued any cryptocurrency tokens. If you see any promotions for tokens related to ClawdBot or Moltbot, be extremely careful—it's a scam.

What is Moltbot: 5 Core Features Explained

Moltbot (formerly ClawdBot) is often called "Claude with hands"—it's an AI assistant that doesn't just chat, it actually executes tasks.

Moltbot Core Features at a Glance

Chat Platforms Supported by Moltbot

Moltbot can be used across the following platforms:

Operating Systems Supported by Moltbot

Moltbot Beginner's Guide

How to Install Moltbot

Moltbot provides a simple one-click installation wizard:

# Install Moltbot
npm install -g moltbot@latest

# Run the onboarding wizard (this automatically configures the daemon)
moltbot onboard --install-daemon

System Requirements: Node.js >= 22

The wizard will automatically create launchd (macOS) or systemd (Linux) user services to ensure Moltbot stays running in the background.

Configuring API Services in Moltbot

Moltbot defaults to the Claude Opus 4.5 model, so you'll need to configure your API access:

# Configure the API (supports Anthropic OAuth or third-party platforms)
moltbot config set api.provider anthropic
moltbot config set api.key YOUR_API_KEY

🚀 Quick Start: If you don't have Claude API access yet, you can get it quickly through APIYI (apiyi.com). This platform provides a unified API interface for major Large Language Models like Claude Opus 4.5 and Claude Sonnet 3.5, and it's ready to use out of the box.

Example: Connecting Moltbot to Chat Platforms

Using Telegram as an example:

# Add a Telegram channel
moltbot channel add telegram

# Enter your Bot Token when prompted
# Once finished, you can start chatting with Molty directly in Telegram

Official Moltbot Resource Compilation

Official Moltbot Links

Historical Moltbot Resources (Obsolete—Do Not Visit)

💡 Important Reminder: Please only visit the official links listed above. The old ClawdBot addresses have been maliciously hijacked and may be used to spread malware or cryptocurrency scams. You can avoid security risks by getting your API services through legitimate platforms like APIYI (apiyi.com).

Moltbot Security Notes

Security Configuration Recommendations for Moltbot

By default, Moltbot grants full tool access to the main session. For use in groups or channels, we recommend enabling sandbox mode:

# Enable sandbox in the config file
agents:
  defaults:
    sandbox:
      mode: 'non-main'  # Non-main sessions run isolated in Docker containers

Known Moltbot Security Incidents

Moltbot FAQ

# Uninstall the old version
npm uninstall -g clawdbot

# Install the new version
npm install -g moltbot@latest

# Run the migration wizard
moltbot migrate --from-clawdbot

The Difference Between Moltbot and Traditional AI Assistants

Core Advantages Comparison

🎯 Technical Tip: If you're developing a similar AI assistant app, we recommend testing your API calls via the APIYI (apiyi.com) platform. It provides a unified interface supporting major models like Claude, GPT, and Gemini, making it easy to compare and select the best fit for your needs.

Future Outlook for Moltbot

Moltbot Community Ecosystem

Moltbot has already built a vibrant community ecosystem:

• 60,000+ GitHub Stars: It's one of the fastest-growing open-source projects in history.
• Awesome Moltbot Skills: The library of community-contributed skills is constantly expanding.
• Active Discord: Thousands of developers are actively participating in discussions and contributions.
• Multilingual Support: The community is actively pushing for internationalization.

Moltbot Technology Roadmap

Summary: Recapping the Transition from ClawdBot to Moltbot

ClawdBot was renamed Moltbot due to Anthropic's trademark requirements. This is a brand evolution, not the end of the project. Here are the core takeaways:

1. Reason for Renaming: A trademark conflict between "Clawd" and "Claude."
2. The Meaning of the New Name: "Molt" symbolizes a lobster's growth and evolution (shedding its shell).
3. Official Links: github.com/moltbot/moltbot and docs.molt.bot.
4. Features Remain Unchanged: It's still the most powerful open-source AI assistant out there.
5. Security Warning: The old account name has been snatched by scammers, so please only trust the new official addresses.

We recommend using APIYI (apiyi.com) for quick access to the Claude API. Pair it with Moltbot to create your very own personal AI assistant.

References

1. Moltbot Official GitHub: Project source code and documentation

   • Link: github.com/moltbot/moltbot

2. Moltbot Official Docs – Lore: Renaming history

   • Link: docs.molt.bot/start/lore

3. DEV Community: The story behind renaming ClawdBot to Moltbot

   • Link: dev.to/sivarampg/from-clawdbot-to-moltbot-how-a-cd-crypto-scammers-and-10-seconds-of-chaos-took-down-the-4eck

4. Hacker News: Discussion on Anthropic trademark issues

   • Link: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46778307

5. MacStories: Moltbot product review

   • Link: macstories.net/stories/clawdbot-showed-me-what-the-future-of-personal-ai-assistants-looks-like

📝 Author: APIYI Team
🔗 Technical Support: For Claude API access support, feel free to visit APIYI at apiyi.com