What is an Index Fund?

An index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) where a portfolio is constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index. Generally, traditional index funds offer broad market exposure, low operating expenses, and low portfolio turnover.

Index funds are an indirect way to get exposure to an entire market without having to put in the work to pick the underlying assets individually. Today, various types of index funds exist, including equity indexes, bond indexes, and commodity indexes, catering to diverse investment needs and preferences.

What about NFT Indices?

NFTs represent a new frontier of digital assets, art and internet culture. Composed of unique digital items that cannot be replicated or replaced, NFT index funds track the performance of a specific set of NFTs. These funds provide a novel way for investors to gain diversified exposure to the new asset class of non-fungible tokens without having to research and pick the individual NFTs themselves.

In the age of digital assets, an NFT index fund is a vehicle that tracks a index of NFTs, typically from similar collections (e.g. Yuga Labs), traits (e.g. hoodie CryptoPunks), or prestige (e.g. Art Blocks Curated).

An NFT index fund works similar to traditional index funds in that it tracks a basket of assets–in this case NFTs. To do this, the index fund manager will select NFT collections that qualify for the index based on specific criteria, such as rarity, popularity, or historical value. For example, the NFT index fund manager may track a basket of Yuga Labs NFTs, which include Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Bored Ape Kennel Club, and Otherside NFTs. They will also consistently monitor the collections for various risks, as set forth by the index guidelines.

The index fund manager will also determine how often each index is rebalanced, generally monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually. This rebalancing process involves adjusting the weight of each collection within the index, typically based on factors like their floor price, appraised value, or overall market capitalization.

The Future of NFT Index Funds with Upshot

As the NFT market continues to mature, innovative solutions to these problems will play a crucial role in addressing the complexities and challenges associated with building and managing NFT indices. By providing robust and accurate pricing methodologies, Upshot can empower index issuers to easily overcome obstacles such as liquidity constraints, capacity issues, and accurate valuation of assets within a collection.

If you would like access to Indexes on Upshot or have any questions/feedback, please reach out on Discord or by email [email protected].