On February 26, OpenClaw creator Peter Steigenberger again reiterated his anti-crypto stance on X. His attack on cryptocurrencies comes after previous negative comments about the Bitcoin and crypto community. OpenClaw, formerly known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, is a free and open-source autonomous AI platform developed by Steigenberger. The platform has recently been featured on CT and also in mainstream media with alarmist articles reporting a supposed «world attack» by AI. Ultimately, the reports were deemed false, and no AI agents were actually planning a world takeover; it was all just a social experiment.
OpenClaw creator attacks crypto community
Yesterday, Steigenberger posted a message on X saying «don't waste time with crypto» in response to a user asking him what the best advice for a 20-year-old is.
don’t waste time with crypto
— Peter Steinberger (@steipete) February 26, 2026
It was not the first time that the creator of OpenClaw attacked the crypto domain. On February 21, a user X revealed that he was banned from the platform's Discord channel for saying «Bitcoin», asking Steigenberger to unblock him. The head of the AI platform replied that they have strict server rules, which the user accepted when he entered, and «no mention of crypto» is one of them.
We have strict server rules that you accepted whe you entered the server. No crypto mention whatsoever is one of them.
— Peter Steinberger(@steipete) February 21, 2026
On February 4, he criticized the industry, pointing out that he does not support crypto and featuring a hateful message from a user who said that several investors lost their cryptocurrencies due to him changing his name. Steigenberger said he received several messages even worse than the one he posted on X.
And people wonder why I don’t support crypto. Got so much love from that community.
„Lobster from the base” could be a really cool band tho. pic.twitter.com/7pOa0pdmG4
—Peter Steinberger
On the other hand, the creator of OpenClaw joined OpenAI on February 14th. The company's CEO, Sam Altman, is the co-founder of Worldcoin, a project that aims to create a privacy-focused digital identity using Orb technology. Steigenberger forays into crypto while working at a company whose CEO created a crypto project.
Should we stay away from crypto?
The answer to this question is simple: everyone has the right to get involved in crypto or not, to support the industry or not, especially after doing enough research to fully understand it and make an informed decision. However, attacking an entire industry based on aggressive comments is not fair. Every industry or group has mean people, but they don't reflect the whole community. The crypto industry is no exception, and there are plenty of bad actors involved, just like in any other field. But we shouldn't judge the whole community based on a few negative examples. We should not censor what we do not like or agree with (unless these aspects are against the good of humanity, especially children); instead, we should educate people to be open to other opinions and to accept or discuss them without hatred. Different opinions do not destroy the world; hatred, violence and war do. Crypto is also full of people who believe in something and work hard to advance projects that bring benefits.
Bitcoin and crypto have shown tremendous resilience over time
Crypto, and Bitcoin in particular, has shown tremendous resilience over the years despite all the FUD that has plagued the industry. Not only crypto projects have been attacked, but the name of the anonymous creator of Bitcoin has been denigrated for years. This is one of the main reasons why it is good that Satoshi Nakamoto has kept his anonymity. Also, even huge crypto platforms have been at the center of multiple attacks. Binance is probably the best example, despite everything it has done for the industry. However, in the midst of hate and attacks, founders, members and supporters continued to build projects useful for the world without giving up on their core principles and goals. Bitcoin itself has managed to survive over the years, giving people hope, freedom and teaching the world countless lessons that go beyond material wealth. This is one of the many reasons why Bitcoin has gained huge interest over time, not only from large institutions like the IMF and banking giants, but also from retail investors.