Meta is working on a new prediction market app called “Arena.” This is the company’s latest move into the fast-growing world of online finance and social engagement. Reports say CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told staff to make this project a priority, and Arena could one day compete with big platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi.
Arena will be different from current platforms because it will start with a points system, similar to a video game, instead of real-money betting. Users can earn or lose points by predicting outcomes in areas like elections, sports, entertainment, and world events. Although the first version may not include cash betting, reports say Meta might add real-money features later.
The project is said to run separately from Meta’s other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Insiders call Arena both experimental and important for Meta’s strategy, showing the company’s interest in new online trends.
Prediction markets became widely known during the 2024 US presidential election, as platforms like Polymarket saw billions in trading. Supporters say these markets offer real-time insights into public opinion, but critics warn they can look like gambling and may be open to manipulation.
This is not Meta’s first try in this area. In 2020, it launched Forecast, a platform where users predicted future events during the COVID-19 pandemic. That service ended in 2022.
Meta’s new effort comes as it looks into other digital asset projects. The company already offers USDC-based payouts to creators in some markets and has considered more stablecoin options. Its earlier plan for a global digital currency, first called Libra and then Diem, was dropped after facing regulatory pushback.
Arena will join a fast-growing market that is also under more legal scrutiny. Regulators in the US and other countries are still debating if prediction contracts are financial products or gambling. They are also concerned about insider trading, market manipulation, consumer protection, and people profiting from events they might influence.
Even with these challenges, Meta’s huge global user base could help Arena become a major player if it launches widely. With billions of daily users, Meta can bring prediction markets to far more people than any current competitor.
NEW: Meta is developing a standalone prediction-market style app, internally dubbed “Arena,” inspired by the rapid growth of Polymarket and Kalshi.
The app would initially use a points-based system rather than real-money wagering, though Meta has not ruled out betting features… pic.twitter.com/fpuHr4Czq4
— Frank Chaparro (@fintechfrank) June 23, 2026
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