According to U.Today, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently shared a piece of artwork that has stirred excitement within the XRP community. The artwork, a stencil-style depiction of a despondent chimpanzee holding a sign that reads 'Laugh now, but one day XRP will power the World', is an adaptation of Banksy's renowned 'Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be In Charge' piece. Garlinghouse revealed that he had been holding onto this artwork for some time and decided to share it amidst the current market momentum.
Banksy, a pseudonymous English street artist, often uses monkeys as a recurring motif in his works, possibly symbolizing a guerilla graffiti artist. The original 'Laugh Now' piece was first displayed in 2000 during a 'guerilla exhibition' in East London and was later commissioned by a hip-hop club in the early 2000s. Variations of the artwork have since been showcased in Banksy's exhibition in Los Angeles. This artwork signifies a pivotal moment in Banksy's evolution from a street artist to a political activist.
The XRP community's reaction to the artwork was mixed. Some members expressed that the artwork made them extremely bullish. An operator of the XRP Ledger dUNL, Vet, suggested that Garlinghouse should mint the artwork on the XRP Ledger. The defiant monkeys depicted by Banksy could metaphorically represent the XRP community in its ongoing battle with the SEC. However, others viewed the artwork with skepticism, citing XRP's underwhelming price performance, which is down 84% from its all-time high. Some also criticized Garlinghouse's decision to post such a statement while the company is engaged in a legal dispute with the SEC.