Thanks for the updates. From what I can recall, Coinbase more or less got pressured into offering Bitcoin Cash a while back after users complained. Their original position was not to list it at all.
I doubt that Coinbase orchestrated anything, although I don't discount the possibility that some whales may have worked together on the sudden Bitcoin Cash surge.
Ripple and Monero are coming to Coinbase as well, so my bet is on them performing very well not too long from now.