The Coinbase Index is a measure of the financial performance of all assets listed on Coinbase’s GDAX exchange, weighted by their market capitalization.
Coinbase Index Fund will only be available to US-resident, accredited investors. Coinbase is actively working on launching more funds which will be available to all investors and cover a broader range of digital assets.
To me, this is all about broadening the appeal of crypto tokens to a wider range of investors than are currently in the market. Making it simple for the average investor to get exposure to this emerging sector is a good thing and I am pleased that Coinbase is broadening its offerings to reach people it is currently not serving.