NullClaw

NullClaw is a 678 KB static binary written in Zig that constitutes the smallest and fastest autonomous artificial intelligence assistant infrastructure. The program runs a single self-contained binary for ARM, x86, and RISC-V architectures, starting in less than 2 milliseconds on Apple Silicon and consuming approximately 1 MB of RAM. The application requires no virtual machine, runtime, or framework, only needing libc, which enables operation on $5 hardware. NullClaw integrates over 23 AI providers, 18 communication channels, 18 tools, hybrid vector and FTS5 memory, multi-layer sandboxing, hardware peripheral support, and subagent capabilities.

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• Hybrid SQLite memory system. The program manages memory through an SQLite database implementing vector search via BLOB-stored embeddings with cosine similarity search. The keyword search layer utilizes FTS5 virtual tables with the BM25 scoring algorithm. The system combines both methods with configurable weights for information retrieval. It includes automatic hygiene functions for archiving and purging stale memories, and allows exporting and importing the complete memory state via snapshots.
• Vtable-based AI provider architecture. NullClaw implements an abstract interface for AI models supporting 23 providers including OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Vertex AI, Ollama, Groq, Mistral, xAI, DeepSeek, Together, Fireworks, Perplexity, Cohere, Bedrock, and Venice. The interface allows adding custom OpenAI-compatible API endpoints through configuration without modifying the program's source code.
• Multi-channel communication system. The program abstracts messaging channels through a common interface supporting Telegram, Signal, Discord, Slack, iMessage, Matrix, WhatsApp, Webhook, IRC, Nostr, QQ, DingTalk, Line, Email, Mattermost, Lark/Feishu, OneBot, and MaixCam. Each channel operates with explicit allowlists: an empty list denies all incoming messages, the "*" wildcard allows all, and by default only messages from authorized senders are permitted.
• Multi-layer sandbox isolation system. NullClaw executes processes in isolated environments through automatic detection of available backends: Landlock, Firejail, Bubblewrap, or Docker. The program applies filesystem restrictions scoped to the workspace, blocks null byte injections, and detects symlink escape attempts. Memory, CPU, disk, and subprocess limits are configurable.
• Pairing and tunnel security. The program's gateway binds to 127.0.0.1 by default and rejects binding to 0.0.0.0 without an active tunnel or the explicit allow_public_bind option. Upon startup it generates a six-digit verification code that must be exchanged via POST /pair to obtain a bearer token. It supports tunnels from Cloudflare, Tailscale, ngrok, or custom implementations.
• Encrypted credential management. API keys are stored encrypted using the ChaCha20-Poly1305 algorithm with a local key file. In the Nostr channel, private keys are saved with the enc2: prefix and only decrypted in memory while the channel is running, being zeroed upon channel stop.
• Extensible tool system. NullClaw includes predefined tools for shell execution, file reading and writing, file editing, memory operations (store, recall, forget), browser opening, screenshot capture, HTTP requests, hardware information, Pushover notifications, and Composio integration. Tools are added through configuration without recompilation.
• Configurable observability layer. The program implements an observer interface with Noop, Log, File, and Multi implementations. It can record signed events with configurable retention for auditing, and can be extended to export metrics to Prometheus or OpenTelemetry.
• Hardware peripheral support. NullClaw abstracts physical device control through a Peripheral interface supporting serial communication, Arduino, Raspberry Pi GPIO, and STM32/Nucleo boards. It enables integrating sensors and actuators directly into autonomous assistant workflows.
• Cron-based task scheduling. The engine includes a scheduler executing tasks based on Cron expressions and one-shot timers with JSON persistence. Periodic tasks are defined through HEARTBEAT.md files and can invoke any system command or tool.
• Multiple runtime adapters. NullClaw supports native execution, Docker containers for additional isolation, and WebAssembly via wasmtime for portable logic. The runtime adapter is selected through configuration, allowing deployment of the same logic in edge environments such as Cloudflare Workers with WASM modules.
• Interoperable identity system. The program reads identity configurations in OpenClaw (markdown) and AIEOS v1.1 (JSON) formats. General configuration uses snake_case compatible with OpenClaw, where providers reside under models.providers, the default model under agents.defaults.model.primary, and channels use accounts wrappers.
• OpenClaw migration capability. NullClaw includes the migrate openclaw command that transfers memory and configuration from existing OpenClaw installations. It offers a --dry-run option to preview changes before applying them permanently.
• Native Nostr protocol implementation. The program integrates Nostr communication via NIP-17 (gift-wrapped private direct messages) and NIP-04 (legacy), utilizing the nak tool. It announces inbox relays (kind:10050) on startup, deduplicates duplicate messages from multiple relays, and allows the owner to configure their pubkey for unrestricted access.
• Vertex AI support with JSON authentication. The Vertex AI provider accepts as api_key either a bearer token (ya29...) or a complete Google service account JSON object containing project_id, client_email, and private_key. The base_url can be configured explicitly for custom environments.

NullClaw development began in 2025 as a Zig reimplementation of autonomous assistant concepts, aiming to minimize resource consumption compared to implementations in other languages. The core developers maintain the program under the nullclaw organization identifier on GitHub, with community contributions. The program is written entirely in Zig, exclusively using compiler version 0.15.2 to ensure binary reproducibility. The codebase comprises approximately 110 source files and over 3230 automated tests verifying all subsystem functionality.

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