OpenClaw Founder Faces Backlash in Crypto Community

Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, has recently joined OpenAI to spearhead the company’s personal AI agents division, igniting controversy among crypto enthusiasts. Critics have accused him of neglecting to launch a token for OpenClaw, which has led to heightened tensions within the community.

“I want to change the world, not build a big corporation... collaborating with OpenAI is the fastest way to get this out to everyone,” Steinberger stated on his blog.

OpenClaw, previously known as Clawdbot, is an open-source platform that allows users to develop AI agents that run locally on users’ devices. Steinberger's transition to OpenAI has drawn support from CEO Sam Altman, who praised Steinberger’s innovative vision for personal agents.

Confronting Crypto Community Harassment

Steinberger has openly discussed the intense harassment he has faced from the crypto community, even considering shutting down his project due to the pressure. In a recent interview, he mentioned, “I didn’t realize they were not only good at harassment but also very skilled at using scripts and tools.” He felt overwhelmed and close to abandoning Clawdbot entirely.

The backlash stems from the lack of a token launch, which users have strongly demanded. Despite their efforts to create a digital asset linked to OpenClaw, Steinberger remains uninterested in promoting it, leading to accusations that he is not supporting the token’s growth. This situation escalated as scammers attempted to compromise the project’s GitHub, taking control of usernames during a recent rebranding effort.

“This is the worst form of online harassment I have ever encountered,” Steinberger lamented.

The controversy comes as experts had already raised concerns about the potential risks associated with using Clawdbot, warning that it might unintentionally expose sensitive personal information and API keys.