What Happened
In early February 2026, members of the OpenClaw community began reporting a cryptocurrency project called "FrankenClaw" that was actively soliciting investments using the OpenClaw name, logo, and branding. The project, which operated primarily through a slick website and aggressive social media campaigns on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram, claimed to be an "official tokenization of the OpenClaw AI agent ecosystem" and promised investors returns of up to 500% within 90 days through a proprietary "AI-powered trading agent" built on OpenClaw technology.
To be absolutely clear: FrankenClaw has no affiliation with the OpenClaw project, the OpenClaws.io Team, or any of the project's contributors or maintainers. It is a fraudulent scheme that exploited the OpenClaw brand to lend false credibility to a cryptocurrency scam. No OpenClaw technology is used in the FrankenClaw project, and no member of the OpenClaw community authorized the use of the OpenClaw name or branding.
The OpenClaws.io Team became aware of FrankenClaw on February 8, 2026, when multiple community members flagged the project in our Discord server. We immediately began investigating and, within 24 hours, had taken a series of actions to protect the community and the OpenClaw brand.
Anatomy of the Scam
FrankenClaw followed a pattern that is depressingly familiar in the cryptocurrency space. The project's website was professionally designed and featured extensive use of OpenClaw's visual branding, including modified versions of the OpenClaw logo, color scheme, and typography. The site included fabricated testimonials from supposed OpenClaw developers, fake partnership announcements, and a whitepaper filled with technical jargon designed to create an impression of legitimacy.
The core of the scam was a token called FCLAW, which was issued on a decentralized exchange. The FrankenClaw team promoted the token through a coordinated social media campaign that included paid influencers, bot-driven engagement, and targeted advertising aimed at communities interested in AI and open-source technology. The messaging consistently emphasized the supposed connection to OpenClaw, using phrases like "powered by OpenClaw," "the official OpenClaw token," and "backed by the OpenClaw community."
The project also operated a Telegram group with over 15,000 members (many of whom were likely bots) where moderators aggressively promoted the token and banned anyone who raised questions about the project's legitimacy. Several community members who attempted to warn others in the Telegram group were immediately removed and blocked.
The tokenomics were structured as a classic pump-and-dump scheme. The FrankenClaw team held a large allocation of FCLAW tokens, promoted the token aggressively to drive up the price, and then sold their holdings at the peak, leaving other investors with worthless tokens. On-chain analysis conducted by community members suggests that the FrankenClaw team extracted approximately $2.3 million from investors before the scheme collapsed.
Our Response
Upon confirming the fraudulent nature of FrankenClaw, the OpenClaws.io Team took the following actions in rapid succession.
We published an official statement on the OpenClaw website, blog, and all social media channels clearly stating that FrankenClaw is not affiliated with OpenClaw and that the project is a scam. This statement was pinned in our Discord server and shared widely across the community.
We filed takedown requests with the domain registrar hosting the FrankenClaw website, the social media platforms where the project was being promoted, and the decentralized exchange where the FCLAW token was listed. As of this writing, the FrankenClaw website has been taken offline, and several of the project's social media accounts have been suspended.
We reported the scheme to relevant law enforcement agencies and financial regulators in multiple jurisdictions. While we recognize that the decentralized and pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrency makes enforcement challenging, we believe it is important to create a formal record of the fraud.
We engaged intellectual property counsel to assess our options for protecting the OpenClaw brand against future misuse. This process is ongoing, and we will share updates as they become available.
How to Identify Scams
The FrankenClaw incident is a reminder that the growing visibility of open-source AI projects makes them attractive targets for scammers. We want to equip the community with the knowledge to identify and avoid similar schemes in the future.
There is no OpenClaw token, cryptocurrency, or investment vehicle of any kind. The OpenClaw project is funded through grants, donations, and corporate sponsorships. Any project claiming to offer an "OpenClaw token" or "OpenClaw investment opportunity" is fraudulent.
Official OpenClaw communications come exclusively from verified channels: the openclaws.io website, the official GitHub repository, the official Discord server, and verified social media accounts. If you encounter a project claiming to be affiliated with OpenClaw through any other channel, treat it with extreme skepticism.
Be wary of any project that promises guaranteed returns on investment, especially in the cryptocurrency space. Legitimate technology projects do not promise investors specific financial returns, and any project that does so is almost certainly a scam.
Check the source. If a project claims to be built on OpenClaw technology, verify this by checking the project's source code (if available) and asking in the official OpenClaw community channels. The community is always willing to help verify the legitimacy of projects that claim to use OpenClaw.
Protecting Open Source Brands
The FrankenClaw incident raises broader questions about brand protection in the open-source ecosystem. Open-source projects, by their nature, encourage widespread use and modification of their technology. But this openness can be exploited by bad actors who use the project's name and reputation to lend credibility to fraudulent schemes.
The OpenClaws.io Team is committed to protecting the OpenClaw brand while preserving the open and permissive ethos that defines the project. We are exploring several measures, including trademark registration in key jurisdictions, clearer brand usage guidelines, and automated monitoring for unauthorized use of the OpenClaw name and branding.
We also want to acknowledge the community members who first identified and reported the FrankenClaw scam. Their vigilance protected countless potential victims and demonstrated the strength of the OpenClaw community's commitment to integrity and mutual support. If you encounter any suspicious activity involving the OpenClaw brand, please report it immediately through our Discord server or by emailing [email protected].
The open-source community is built on trust. Scams like FrankenClaw attempt to exploit that trust for personal gain. By staying informed, vigilant, and supportive of one another, we can ensure that the OpenClaw ecosystem remains a safe and trustworthy space for developers, operators, and users alike.