Back
Meta explores Polymarket and Kalshi partnerships as it builds Arena

Meta explores Polymarket and Kalshi partnerships as it builds Arena

Meta is testing a points-based prediction app aimed at younger users while weighing ties with Polymarket and Kalshi and leaving open the possibility of cash features later.

USDC

Fact Check
Multiple independent reports converge on the same facts as the claim. The originating NYT story 'Mark Zuckerberg Urges Meta to Explore Working With Polymarket and Kalshi' establishes that Zuckerberg directed Meta to explore ties with both platforms for the Arena prediction app. The Investing.com and Cryptopolitan reports confirm Arena is in internal testing, uses a points-based (not real-money) system, targets younger users (18-34), and may add cash features after launch—matching the claim exactly. NPR independently corroborates Meta's plan for a prediction market app competing with Kalshi and Polymarket. The only caveat is that these are reports of Meta's internal explorations (per NYT, not officially confirmed by Meta, which declined comment), so the partnerships remain exploratory rather than finalized—consistent with the claim's hedged wording ('explores,' 'weighing,' 'leaving open the possibility').
Summary

Meta is exploring partnerships with Polymarket and Kalshi while developing its own prediction-style app, Arena, as it pushes deeper into a sector that has grown rapidly since the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Mark Zuckerberg has told executives to pursue potential ties with the two platforms even as Arena remains in internal testing with a video game-style points system rather than real-money wagering. People familiar with the matter told The New York Times that Meta is targeting at least 100 million monthly active users for Arena, focused on users aged 18 to 34, and plans to eventually integrate parts of the product into Facebook and Messenger. Polymarket settles through USDC on Polygon, while Kalshi runs as a CFTC-regulated cash exchange. Meta has not ruled out adding real-cash financial mechanisms after launch. The company is also separately pursuing stablecoin payments through third-party integrations, including a USDC creator-payout pilot in Colombia and the Philippines. Combined trading volume on Polymarket and Kalshi reached nearly $50 billion in 2025 and has surpassed $130 billion so far in 2026, according to Binance Square figures, while Bernstein analysts estimate prediction markets could reach $1 trillion in annual volume by 2030.

Terms & Concepts
  • prediction market: A platform where users forecast outcomes of future events, often through tradable contracts or wagers.
  • USDC: A dollar-pegged stablecoin used for digital payments and settlements on blockchain-based platforms.
  • stablecoin: A digital token designed to maintain a steady value, usually by being pegged to a currency such as the U.S. dollar.