Meta Tests Prediction App 'Takes' That Uses Points, Not Real Money

By Kevin · 2026-11-14 · News

Nov. 14 (CandyPulse) — The company behind Facebook and Instagram is trying out prediction markets, with a twist: there's no money involved. Meta is testing an app called "Takes" in which staff predict outcomes using points, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Key takeaways

Meta is testing a prediction-market app called Takes with its own employees
Users stake "cred" points, not cash: correct calls earn points, wrong ones lose them
The project was previously known internally as Arena and followed direction from CEO Mark Zuckerberg
There's no public launch date, and no word on whether one is planned
Earlier coverage said Meta had not ruled out real-money betting later; the latest report doesn't say

What we know

Item	Detail
App name	Takes (earlier internal name: Arena)
Who can use it	Meta employees only, for now
What you bet	"Cred" points, not real money
How it works	Earn points for correct predictions, lose them for wrong ones
Public launch	Not announced
Source	Wall Street Journal report

What a prediction market is

A prediction market lets people back their view on a yes-or-no question: will this happen by this date? The combined bets produce a percentage that works as a crowd forecast. Because people commit something of value, these markets are often more accurate than polls.

Real-money platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have grown quickly, and we've cited their odds ourselves, for example on Fed rate decisions.

Why points instead of money

Regulation. In the U.S., real-money event contracts fall under financial regulators. One commentator noted that an internal app using points is far less likely to be covered by those rules.
Testing the idea first. Points let Meta see whether people enjoy the format before taking on legal and financial risk.
Reputation. A points game is a much easier thing to explain than gambling inside a social app.

One of the test questions reported shows the flavour: "Will former Apple CEO Tim Cook become the next CEO of NVIDIA?" It's a timely one, given Nvidia's CEO search.

Why it matters

Meta's apps reach billions of people. If a version of Takes ever appeared inside Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, prediction markets would go from a niche to something your relatives use. That's still an "if": the app is internal and may never launch.

It also shows where the industry is heading. Prediction markets are spreading across finance and crypto, including at Hyperliquid, which has been adding them alongside its trading products.

The crypto angle

Many leading prediction markets settle in stablecoins on blockchains. Meta's test uses neither, so this isn't a crypto product today. But a mainstream audience getting used to the idea would help the on-chain versions too. And points-based rewards are familiar to our readers: it's how Pulse rewards work on this site.

What to watch

Whether Takes leaves internal testing, whether Meta ever adds real money, and how regulators respond as more large companies try the format. New to terms like "event contract" or "stablecoin"? See our crypto glossary.

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Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Market figures move quickly and different data providers can show slightly different numbers. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.