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How to Set Up a Personal AI Assistant on Aleph Cloud (Clawdbot / Moltbot) ​

Note: Clawd has been rebranded to Moltbot due to an IP issue with Anthropic.

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A complete walkthrough for setting up your personal AI assistant on decentralized compute.

  • ⏱ Time: 15–20 minutes
  • 💰 Cost: ~$5/month (ALEPH tokens)
  • 📊 Difficulty: Beginner-friendly

Clawdbot is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own decentralized infrastructure powered by Aleph Cloud's peer-to-peer compute network. It connects through Telegram, WhatsApp, or other messaging apps. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude's web interface, it's always on, remembers everything, and can proactively reach out to you or send emails on your behalf.

Part 1: Set Up Your Aleph Cloud Instance ​

Step 1: Create an Aleph Cloud Account ​

Visit aleph.cloud and sign up. You'll need a wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, or similar) to authenticate.

Step 2: Prepare Your SSH Key ​

You'll need an SSH public key to access your instance. This must be provided during instance creation.

Check if you already have a key:

bash
ls ~/.ssh/*.pub
powershell
dir $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\*.pub

If you have a key, copy it:

bash
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
powershell
Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

If you don't have a key, generate one:

bash
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
powershell
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

Copy the output — you'll paste this into the Aleph Dashboard in the next step.

Step 3: Access the Aleph Dashboard ​

Once logged in, navigate to the Compute section of the Aleph Dashboard.

Step 4: Create a New Instance ​

Click + Create Instance and configure:

SettingValue
ImageUbuntu 22.04 LTS (or latest)
vCPU4 vCPU
RAM8 GB
Storage20 GB SSD
SSH KeyPaste your public key from Step 2

Step 5: Fund Your Instance ​

Aleph Cloud uses a pay-as-you-go model with ALEPH tokens. Two options:

Option A — Hold Tokens (4,000 $ALEPH on Ethereum):

  • Purchase ALEPH tokens from exchanges (Uniswap, Coinbase, etc.)
  • Hold them in your wallet
  • You can sell them once you're done — no wasted tokens

Option B — Pay-as-you-go (on Base):

  • Use ALEPH on Base network
  • Only pay for what you use (~$5/month for this spec)
  • More flexible if you're unsure about long-term usage

Aleph Cloud Instance Creation Dashboard

Step 6: Deploy the Instance ​

Click Deploy. Your instance will spin up in 30–60 seconds. Once ready, you'll see your instance IP address in the dashboard.

Aleph Cloud Instance Details Dashboard

Part 2: Connect & Install ​

Step 7: SSH into Your Instance ​

Open Terminal and run:

bash
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 root@YOUR_INSTANCE_IP

Replace YOUR_INSTANCE_IP with the IP from the dashboard. Type yes when asked about the fingerprint.

First time using SSH keys? Make sure the key has restricted permissions:

bash
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Step 8: Update the System ​

bash
apt update && apt upgrade -y

Step 9: Install Node.js 22 ​

bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs

Verify with:

bash
node -v
# Should show v22.x.x

Step 10: Install Clawdbot ​

bash
npm install -g clawdbot@latest

Step 11: Run the Onboarding Wizard ​

bash
clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

This wizard walks you through model auth, workspace setup, and channel configuration.

Part 3: Add Your Anthropic API Key ​

Step 12: Get Your API Key ​

Go to console.anthropic.com and create an API key. It starts with sk-ant-...

Have Claude Pro/Max? (Not recommended) You can use your subscription instead of paying for API credits. Run claude setup-token on your local machine (requires Claude Code CLI) and paste the token when prompted.

Step 13: Enter in Wizard ​

When the wizard asks for Anthropic auth, choose API Key and paste it.

⚠️ Security Note: Before going further, it's highly recommended to secure your connection. You can ask Clawdbot if you are vulnerable to threats. Consider using a mix of Tailscale and UFW firewall (both are free).

Part 4: Finish & Test ​

Step 14: Complete the Wizard ​

Follow the remaining prompts, accepting defaults for most options. The wizard will install a background daemon so Clawdbot stays running.

Step 15: Verify It's Running ​

bash
clawdbot status

Should show the gateway as running.

Step 16: Test It! ​

Open Telegram, find your bot, and send it a message. You should get a response. 🎉

Useful Commands ​

Instance Management (via SSH) ​

bash
clawdbot status          # Check if everything is working
clawdbot logs --follow   # View live logs
clawdbot gateway restart # Restart the bot
clawdbot health          # Run health checks

Chat Commands (send in Telegram) ​

/new      # Start a fresh conversation
/model    # Switch AI models
/compact  # Compress long conversations
stop      # Cancel a running task

Managing Your Aleph Cloud Instance ​

Check Instance Status ​

Log into the Aleph Dashboard → Compute → Your Instance. You'll see CPU/Memory usage, storage usage, uptime, and token consumption.

Scale Your Instance ​

If you need more power, go to Instance Settings → Upgrade Spec, choose new vCPU/RAM allocation, and confirm the new monthly cost.

Manage Your ALEPH Tokens or Credits ​

From the Dashboard, click Wallet or Credits to monitor your balance and usage.

Troubleshooting ​

Need to redo setup?

bash
clawdbot reset
clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

SSH asking for password?

Your key isn't being used. Specify it explicitly:

bash
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 root@YOUR_INSTANCE_IP

Instance keeps stopping or crashing?

  • Check the Aleph Dashboard for resource alerts
  • Review logs: clawdbot logs --follow
  • If using Base pay-as-you-go, ensure you have credits available
  • If holding ALEPH tokens, ensure sufficient balance in your wallet
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