An outright ban on any mention of bitcoin or cryptocurrency is now in effect on the official Discord server of OpenClaw, following a turbulent episode that nearly derailed the fast growing AI project.
The decision came after scammers exploited a brief rebranding window earlier this year. During the transition from the project’s former name, Clawdbot, malicious actors hijacked its old social media and repository handles and launched a fake token branded as $CLAWD on the Solana network. Within hours, the token’s market capitalization surged to $16 million before collapsing more than 90% once the project’s creator publicly disavowed any connection.
Security Risks Exposed in Open-Source AI Ecosystems
Independent security researchers later uncovered hundreds of publicly exposed OpenClaw instances running without proper authentication safeguards. In addition, nearly 400 malicious third-party “skills” were identified in the ecosystem, many targeting crypto traders through phishing-style automation.
The controversy coincided with a trademark dispute involving Anthropic over similarities between the original Clawdbot name and Anthropic’s Claude branding, prompting the rebrand that created the opening for account takeovers.
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Zero-Tolerance Policy on Crypto Mentions
Project leadership has made clear that even casual references to bitcoin will trigger moderation action. The strict rule reflects concerns that speculative token culture can quickly overwhelm legitimate open-source initiatives. Despite the setback, OpenClaw continues to expand under an independent foundation model, focusing on developer tools rather than financial speculation.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.