OpenClaw Founder Joins OpenAI, Bans Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Discussions

Following the viral success of his application earlier last month, Peter Steinberger, founder of OpenClaw, confirmed a strict prohibition on mentioning Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies within the project's Discord server.

Steinberger reiterated this policy after a user reported on the X platform this Saturday that they had been banned from the OpenClaw Discord community.

"We enforce rigorous server rules that are accepted upon entry," Steinberger wrote. "One specific rule absolutely forbids any mention of cryptocurrency."

Other users on the X platform noted that even neutral discussions about Bitcoin resulted in moderation actions. Steinberger explained that scammers attempting to capitalize on OpenClaw's popularity subjected him to harassment and threats related to crypto activities.

"To everyone in the cryptocurrency space," he posted on X in January. "Please stop contacting and harassing me. I will never launch a token. Any project claiming me as a token owner is a scam."

Initially named Clawdbot, OpenClaw gained attention as an open-source framework for creating AI agents designed to perform tasks autonomously for users. As interest in OpenClaw grew, Steinberger stated that harassment from the crypto sector increased, with actors trying to profit from alleged ties to the project. During a recent Lex Fridman podcast, he admitted underestimating this community.

"Regarding this project, they have been besieging me," he said. "Every thirty minutes, someone enters Discord to spam, requiring us to ban them."

He indicated that this led to rules banning Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and financial topics.

"I am not interested in these things; this space is about the project, not finance," Steinberger told Friedman. He noted that excessive spam made it difficult to see project discussions amidst the swarm.

Several X platform users tried to discourage Steinberger from strictly cracking down on crypto dialogue, though their appeals seem to have been temporarily disregarded.

Last week, Steinberger joined OpenAI and announced OpenClaw would transition to a foundation structure.

"My aim is to change the world, not build a large corporation; collaborating with OpenAI is the quickest way to bring this to everyone," Steinberger wrote in a blog post.

Some X platform users questioned how Steinberger's no-crypto rule aligns with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's association with World. Altman is a co-founder of the project. Worldcoin launched in 2023 as a digital identity network issuing crypto tokens to users who scan their irises.

While there is no public evidence linking Steinberger's Discord policy to OpenAI or Altman's involvement with World, his public remarks sparked complaints from users who view cryptocurrency as the best use case for AI agents like OpenClaw.

"What will all these AI agents use for payment?" one X platform user asked. "Are you constructing an open-source decentralized network on Visa's infrastructure?"