Zuckerberg directs Meta to explore partnerships with Polymarket and Kalshi

Mark Zuckerberg has told Meta executives to pursue potential partnerships with prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi with the company planning the development of its own competing app called Arena.

Meta has seen an aggressive push into the prediction markets sector that has exploded since the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Combined trading volume on Polymarket and Kalshi hit almost $50 billion in 2025 and has already seen more than $130 billion so far in 2026, according to Binance Square figures.

Arena’s operations, a different approach

Meta’s prediction market app, currently in internal testing, is expected to take a totally different approach compared to its potential partners cum competitors. Individuals with knowledge of the matter told the New York Times that Arena will use a video-game-style points system rather than accepting real-money wagers, as previously reported by Cryptopolitan.

Polymarket operates its markets via USDC settlements on the Polygon blockchain, while Kalshi operates as a CFTC-regulated exchange using cash. Arena’s points-based model will offer a significantly different style of operation to those employed by these top platforms.

Meta has, however, not ruled out adding financial mechanisms that use real cash down the line after launch.

Meta targets 100 million users

Zuckerberg’s team is aiming for at least 100 million monthly active “predictors” on Arena, with the app targeting users between 18 and 34 years old. Meta plans to eventually integrate parts of Arena into Facebook and Messenger.

Zuckerberg’s interest in exploring a partnership with Polymarket and Kalshi could suggest Meta intends to move faster in the development of the Arena platform instead of totally building from scratch. The tech giant is also said to be looking at multiple ways to integrate existing prediction markets into its ecosystem.

Meta’s track record, market reactions

Meta has had other attempts at financial infrastructure that have not gone so well or hit the ground running. The company’s Libra stablecoin project, later renamed Diem, collapsed due to regulatory opposition and was eventually sold off.

Meta is also reported to be separately pursuing stablecoin payments through third-party integrations, with a USDC creator-payout pilot already running in Colombia and the Philippines.

The news has slightly rattled the shares of companies in similar markets. DraftKings saw a drop of more than 2%, with Flutter Entertainment (FanDuel’s parent company) dipping nearly 2% before seeing a partial recovery. Robinhood, a company already offering Kalshi markets, also saw a decline.

Bernstein analysts have estimated prediction markets could reach $1 trillion in annual volume by 2030, per Binance Square.