Post
OpenClaw History: From Warelay to Foundation in Under a Year
Project history.
The rapid history of OpenClaw — from weekend project to independent foundation in less than a year.
At a glance
- Type
- Post
- Topics
- OpenClaw, Peter Steinberger, Open source history
- Evidence
- Editorial interpretation
- Written by
- Liyam Flexer
The short answer
OpenClaw originated in November 2025 as Peter Steinberger's project Warelay, was renamed Clawdbot and Moltbot following trademark issues, and became OpenClaw in January 2026. After becoming one of GitHub's fastest-growing repositories and shipping version 2.0 in August 2026, the independent OpenClaw Foundation was established in July 2026 to ensure non-profit stewardship.
Peter Steinberger started the project in November 2025 as Warelay. It was renamed Clawdbot, then Moltbot after a trademark issue, then OpenClaw in January 2026. The project grew extremely quickly, briefly becoming one of the fastest-rising repositories on GitHub.
Steinberger joined OpenAI in February 2026. The OpenClaw Foundation (501(c)(3)) was established in July 2026 to keep the project independent. OpenClaw 2.0 shipped in August 2026.
The rapid name changes and governance shift are important context when evaluating long-term stability. The Foundation structure is designed to keep the project open and independent regardless of any single company’s involvement.
Evidence in this article Editorial interpretation Our reading of what the evidence means. Judgment, clearly separated from the evidence itself.
Frequently asked questions
Who created OpenClaw?
OpenClaw was originally created by Peter Steinberger in November 2025 under the project name Warelay.
Why was OpenClaw renamed multiple times?
The project was initially Warelay, then Clawdbot, then Moltbot due to trademark concerns, before officially establishing the permanent name OpenClaw in January 2026.
Who owns OpenClaw today?
OpenClaw is governed by the independent OpenClaw Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in July 2026 to ensure the assistant remains open source and community-stewarded.
Related reading
- Category: Agents & automation
- Category: Coding & development
Sources
- OpenClaw Wikipedia Article Wikipedia, accessed .
- OpenClaw Official Blog OpenClaw Foundation, accessed .