- Updated: March 26, 2026
- 12 min read
SeventeenLabs Unveils Relay – A Decentralized Relay Network for Blockchain Scalability
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Reload to refresh your session.Dismiss alert SeventeenLabs / relay Public Notifications You must be signed in to change notification settings Fork 1 Star 43 Code Issues 0 Pull requests 0 Actions Projects Security 0 Insights Additional navigation options Code Issues Pull requests Actions Projects Security Insights masterBranchesTagsGo to fileCodeOpen more actions menuFolders and filesNameNameLast commit messageLast commit dateLatest commit History63 Commits63 Commits.agents/skills.agents/skills .github.github .vscode.vscode assetsassets docsdocs electronelectron plugins/openclaw-relay-workspaceplugins/openclaw-relay-workspace scriptsscripts srcsrc test-resultstest-results tests/e2etests/e2e .env.example.env.example .gitignore.gitignore CODE_OF_CONDUCT.mdCODE_OF_CONDUCT.md CONTRIBUTING.mdCONTRIBUTING.md LICENSELICENSE README.mdREADME.md RELAY-MVP.mdRELAY-MVP.md SECURITY.mdSECURITY.md SUPPORT.mdSUPPORT.md components.jsoncomponents.json eslint.config.jseslint.config.js index.htmlindex.html package-lock.jsonpackage-lock.json package.jsonpackage.json playwright.electron.config.tsplaywright.electron.config.ts skills-lock.jsonskills-lock.json tailwind.config.tstailwind.config.ts tsconfig.electron.jsontsconfig.electron.json tsconfig.jsontsconfig.json vite.config.tsvite.config.ts View all filesRepository files navigationREADMECode of conductContributingMIT licenseSecurity What Is Relay · Why Relay · Features · Use Cases · Quickstart · Development What Is Relay?The open-source Claude Cowork for OpenClaw. If OpenClaw is the runtime, Relay is your local command center. Relay is an Electron desktop app that gives you the same workflow as Claude Cowork (autonomous task execution, scheduling, sub-agents, connectors) but running on your infrastructure, with your choice of model, and with real governance built in. Cowork is a great product. But there are three structural limits that push companies toward alternatives: Data sovereignty.Cowork processes your files on Anthropic’s infrastructure. If you’re in a regulated industry or have strict data policies, that’s a dealbreaker. Model lock-in. Cowork only works with Claude. If you want to route tasks to GPT-4, Llama, Gemini, or a custom endpoint, you’re out of luck. Compliance gaps. Anthropic themselves recommend against using Cowork for regulated workflows because activities aren’t yet captured in standard audit logs or compliance APIs. Relay solves all three.Same workflow pattern, different trust model. Architecture ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ You (Operator) │ │ give goals · review deliverables · approve risky actions │ └─────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ┌───────────────▼────────────────┐ │ Relay (Desktop App) │ │ ── Control Plane ── │ │ │ │ Dispatch & Chat │ You see everything. │ • Give a task in natural lang │ You approve what matters.│ • Agent plans steps for you │ You stay in control. │ • Review polished deliverable │ │ │ │ Governance │ │ • Approval gates (file ops, │ │ shell commands, data sends) │ │ • Exportable audit trail │ │ • Cost tracking per task │ │ │ │ Configure │ │ • Schedule recurring tasks │─ ─ ┐ Relay defines. │ • Browse & edit agent memory │ │ OpenClaw executes. │ • Manage connectors (Slack, │ │ │ Notion, GitHub, Jira, etc.) │ │ │ • Set project working folder │ │ └───────────────┬────────────────┘ │ │ │ WebSocket / API │ │ │ ┌───────────────▼────────────────┐ │ │ OpenClaw Gateway (Runtime) │◄ ─ ┘ │ local · VPS · custom URL │ │ ── Execution Plane ── │ │ │ │ Agent Runtime │ Runs on YOUR infra. │ • Autonomous task execution │ Your keys. Your data.│ • Multi-step planning & tools │ │ • Sub-agent orchestration │ │ │ │ Persistence │ │ • Memory storage & retrieval │ │ • Schedule runner (cron) │ │ • File read / write / search │ │ │ │ Integrations │ │ • Connectors (Slack, Notion, │ │ GitHub, Jira, email, etc.) │ │ • Computer use (browser, UI) │ │ • Shell / script execution │ │ │ │ Model Router │ │ • Routes to any LLM backend │ └──┬──────────┬──────────┬───────┘ │ │ │ ┌─────▼───┐ ┌────▼───┐ ┌────▼─────┐ │ Claude │ │ GPT-4 │ │ Llama │ │ Gemini │ │ Mixtral│ │ Custom │ └─────────┘ └────────┘ └──────────┘ Relay is the control plane — you see, configure, and approve. OpenClaw is the execution plane — agents run, remember, and act on your infrastructure.Example: Scheduled daily briefing Relay (you define) OpenClaw (it executes) ────────────────── ────────────────────── Create schedule: “Daily 8am” ──────► Stores schedule Set connectors: Slack + Notion Cron fires at 8am Agent reads project files Pulls Slack threads & Notion pages Calls LLM (your model choice) Writes briefing to memory Briefing appears in Relay ◄────── Returns deliverable You review, approve, or redirect Full audit trail exported Why Relay?Problem How Relay handles it Data sovereignty Your files stay on your machine. Agents run on your server. Your keys. Model lock-in Use any LLM through OpenClaw: Claude, GPT-4, Llama, custom endpoints. No compliance-ready audit Full audit trail with exportable execution history, approval records, and action rationale. Always-on execution Agents run 24/7 on a VPS while you control them from the desktop. Token cost at scale Cowork burns through plan limits fast.With Relay + OpenClaw you manage costs on your own infrastructure. Syncing friction Your workspace files are in agent context in real-time. No FTP, no SSH, no copy-paste. How It Works You give the goal → Agent plans the steps → You approve what matters → Agent executes → Everything is logged Step What Happens 01 Connect Point Relay to your OpenClaw gateway (local, VPS, or custom). Verify health. 02 Dispatch Give the agent a task in a project context. Agent plans and starts working.03 Approve High-risk actions pause for your review. You approve, reject, or redirect. 04 Track Full timeline of every action, approval, cost, and result. Exportable.Who Should Use Relay Relay makes sense if: You run OpenClaw on a VPS and want a proper desktop control plane for it You need data sovereignty (GDPR, HIPAA, or internal policy) You work in regulated industries like finance, legal, healthcare, or government You want to pick your own model instead of being locked into Claude You need exportable audit trails for compliance You want to control token costs on your own infrastructure Relay is probably not for you if: You’re happy using Claude on Anthropic’s cloud. Just use Cowork, it’s good. You want fully autonomous agents with zero human oversight. That’s not what this is. Why Not Just Use a Chat App? You could wire OpenClaw to Telegram, Discord, or Slack and talk to your agent there. Plenty of people do. But it breaks down quickly once you need more than a text box: Capability Chat app (Telegram, etc.) Relay Send a message to an agent Works fine Works fine Approve risky actions before they run No approval gates, agent just does it File deletes, shell commands, data sends pause for review See what the agent actually did You get a text reply, not an execution log Full timeline: every action, tool call, file change, cost Schedule recurring tasks You’d need a separate cron + glue code Define schedules in the UI, OpenClaw runs them Project context Every message starts from zero Tasks scoped to a working folder with persistent context Agent memory Chat history is all you get Structured memory that persists across sessions Manage connectors You wire each integration yourself Configure Slack, Notion, GitHub, Jira from the UI Audit trail Scroll through chat logs Exportable execution history with approval records Cost visibility No idea what a task cost Token usage and cost tracked per task Multi-step execution Agent replies in one shot Agent plans steps, uses tools, reports back with deliverables A chat app gives you a text box. Relay gives you an operator desk where you can dispatch, govern, track, and audit everything your agent does. Features Desktop First Native Electron app with persistent local state. This is a proper desktop tool, not a browser tab. Chat + Execution Dispatch tasks, guide decisions, and review results in one interface. Project Context Every task is scoped to a working folder. No context drift between runs.Approval Gates File deletes, shell commands, data exports: risky actions pause for your review before they run. Audit Trail Every action logged with execution timeline, rationale, and approval records. All exportable. Flexible Routing Connect to local, VPS, or custom OpenClaw-compatible endpoints. Use any model. Memory System Persistent operator context injected into every interaction. Agents remember what matters. Scheduling Create recurring tasks from the UI.Daily reports, weekly cleanups, continuous monitoring. Full Visibility Files, activity, memory, schedule, safety, and approvals all visible in one place.Interface Tour Chat Project Workspace (Remote Files) Safety And Approvals Settings Relay vs Claude Cowork Capability Relay Claude Cowork Autonomous task execution Yes Yes Scheduling Yes Yes Sub-agents / multi-agent Yes Yes Connectors / integrations Yes Yes (Anthropic cloud) Desktop app Yes Yes Local file access Truly local, on your machine Processed on Anthropic’s infrastructure Self-hosted runtime Yes No Model choice Any model via OpenClaw Claude only Compliance-ready audit trail Exportable Not in audit logs or compliance APIs yet Approval gates Per-action risk scopes Limited Data on your infrastructure Yes No Token cost control Your infra, your budget Plan limits apply Cowork is a great product for personal productivity on Anthropic’s cloud. Relay exists for teams and companies that need data sovereignty, compliance-ready audit trails, and model freedom on their own infrastructure. Anthropic themselves recommend against using Cowork for regulated workflows because activities are not yet captured in standard audit logs or compliance APIs. That’s the gap Relay is built for. Use Cases Operations: Daily Briefing You schedule a daily task. The agent synthesizes metrics, customer feedback, and team updates overnight.Results show up in Relay each morning. You review them and decide what to act on. Finance: Expense Approval The agent flags an exception in an expense report. Relay pauses for approval. The finance lead reviews the context and risk level, approves or asks for clarification, and the action executes with a full audit receipt. Compliance: Recurring Audit Prep You set up a recurring task: “Every Friday, scan all project changes and produce a compliance summary.” The agent runs on schedule, results appear in Relay, and the audit trail is ready to export. Technical: Code Review Automation The agent runs npm test, scans for TODO comments, and produces a summary. Shell commands require your approval. You review results and trigger follow-up actions from one thread. Product: Feedback Synthesis Customer feedback is scattered across email, Slack, and support tickets.The agent collects it, clusters themes by priority, and produces roadmap recommendations you can actually act on. Content: Weekly Planning You tell the agent: “Every Friday, summarize trending topics in our space and draft 3 content ideas.” Results are ready Monday morning. The team reviews, approves, and drops them into the editorial calendar. Why Not Just Use Cowork? If you need.Use Cowork Use Relay Personal AI productivity Great fit Overkill Data sovereignty (GDPR, HIPAA) Data goes to Anthropic Your infrastructure Compliance-ready audit logs Not available yet Built in, exportable Model flexibility Claude only Any model via OpenClaw Token cost control Plan limits Your infra, your budget Team approval workflows Limited Per-action risk scopes Always-on agents on your VPS Anthropic’s cloud Your server, 24/7 Quickstart Requirements: Node.js 20+ npm 10+ Install & run: git clone https://github.com/SeventeenLabs/relay.git cd relay npm install npm run dev This starts Vite, compiles Electron in watch mode, and launches Relay. Optional cloud auth setup: cp .env.example .env Set these when needed: VITE_SUPABASE_URL VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY Gateway Setup In Settings > Gateway: Enter your OpenClaw gateway URL and token Save Run the health check Typical endpoint patterns: Local: ws://127.0.0.1:18789 VPS: wss://your-domain.com Custom: Any OpenClaw-compatible endpoint Development npm run dev # Full desktop dev loop npm run build # Build renderer + electron npm run preview # Preview renderer build npm run package # Build and package app to release/ npm run lint # ESLint npm run typecheck # TS type checks (renderer + electron) npm run verify # lint + typecheck + smoke tests npm run test:local-actions # Local actions smoke tests npm run test:e2e # Electron E2E tests (mock gateway) Community Security issues: hello@seventeenlabs.io Bug reports & feature requests: GitHub Issues Contributions: CONTRIBUTING.md Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md Security policy: SECURITY.md Support: SUPPORT.md Open Source License: MIT Copyright © 2026 SeventeenLabs Get started: Download the latest build or clone and run locally. Questions? Open an issue or email hello@seventeenlabs.io. About The open-source Claude Cowork for OpenClaw seventeenlabs.io/products/relay Topics self-hosted audit-trail ai-copilot governed-ai openclaw human-approved Resources Readme License MIT license Code of conduct Code of conduct Contributing Contributing Security policy Security policy Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page. Activity Custom properties Stars 43 stars Watchers 0 watching Forks 1 fork Report repository Releases 1 Relay 2026.3.24 Latest Mar 25, 2026 Packages 0 Uh oh! There was an error while loading.Please reload this page. Contributors 1 ChristianLutzCL Chris Languages TypeScript 98.3% Other 1.7% You can’t perform that action at this time. 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Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.