The developer behind the rapidly growing open-source AI platform OpenClaw has confirmed that any references to Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies can result in users being banned from its Discord server.

In a post on X, a user shared that they were blocked from OpenClaw’s Discord after simply mentioning Bitcoin’s block height as a reference in a multi-agent benchmark.

Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, confirmed the incident, stating that participants had accepted “strict server rules” upon joining, and the community operates a policy of “no crypto mention whatsoever.”

OpenClaw confirms ban on crypto. Source: Steinberger

Steinberger later offered to restore the user’s access by asking them to email their username.

OpenClaw’s crypto issue originated with a fraudulent token

The trouble began during a rebrand when Steinberger received a trademark complaint concerning the project’s former name. In the brief interval between closing old social accounts and claiming new ones, scammers took over the neglected handles promoting a Solana-based token called $CLAWD, which quickly surged to a market cap of approximately $16 million before crashing over 90% after Steinberger publicly distanced himself from it.

Steinberger warned that he would never launch a cryptocurrency and stated that any tokens claiming association with him were fraudulent. Security experts later found numerous exposed OpenClaw instances and malicious plugins, many of which aimed at crypto traders.

OpenClaw has seen rapid expansion since its inception in late January, reaching over 200,000 GitHub stars shortly after launch and captivating a diverse developer community interested in autonomous agents.

Crypto firms optimistic about AI agents

Industry leaders are increasingly viewing cryptocurrency as the primary payment method for AI transactions. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire predicts that billions of agents will utilize stablecoins for routine payments in the near future. Earlier this month, Coinbase unveiled “Agentic Wallets,” a new feature that allows AI agents to hold and autonomously transact using cryptocurrency, enhancing their ability to manage finances and engage in digital marketplaces.