Mark Zuckerberg has asked Meta executives to pursue potential partnerships with prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi as the company plans to develop its own competing app called Arena.
Meta has seen a huge boost in the prediction markets sector that has exploded since the 2024 US presidential election. Combined trading volume on Polymarket and Kalshi reached nearly $50 billion in 2025 and has already seen more than $130 billion so far in 2026, according to Binance Square figures.
Arena operations, a different approach
The Meta Market forecasting app, which is currently undergoing internal testing, is expected to take a completely different approach compared to its potential partners and competitors. Individuals familiar with the matter told the New York Times that Arena will use a video game-style points system rather than accepting real-money bets, as was previously the case. I mentioned By Cryptopolitan.
Polymarket operates its markets through USDC settlements on the Polygon blockchain, while Kalshi operates as a CFTC-regulated exchange using cash. The points-based Arena model will offer a completely different style of play than those used by these top platforms.
However, Meta did not rule out adding financial mechanisms that use real cash after launch.
Meta target 100 million users
Zuckerberg’s team aims to reach at least 100 million monthly active “forecasters” on Arena, with the app targeting users between the ages of 18 and 34. Meta plans to eventually integrate parts of Arena into Facebook and Messenger.
Zuckerberg’s interest in exploring a partnership with Polymarket and Kalshi may indicate that Meta intends to move faster in developing the Arena platform rather than building entirely from scratch. The tech giant is also said to be looking at multiple ways to integrate existing prediction markets into its ecosystem.
Meta record, market reactions
Meta has made other attempts to create financial infrastructure, but they have not gone well or been successful. The company’s Libra stablecoin project, later renamed Diem, collapsed due to regulatory opposition and was eventually sold.
Meta is also reported separately tracking Stablecoin payments are through third-party integrations, with a pilot program to pay out USDC creators already running in Colombia and the Philippines.
The news shook shares of companies in similar markets slightly. DraftKings saw a decline of more than 2%, with Flutter Entertainment (FanDuel’s parent company) falling nearly 2% before seeing a partial recovery. Robinhood, a company that already offers CalX markets, also saw a decline.
Bernstein analysts estimate that markets can predict this Up to $1 trillion in annual volume by 2030, per Binance Square.
Don’t just read cryptocurrency news. Understand that. Subscribe to our newsletter. It’s free.
