Meta Platforms employees have started testing a prediction-market app currently known as Takes. Participants place wagers on the outcomes of questions and events using a virtual currency called “cred,” short for credibility. Correct forecasts increase a user’s cred balance, while incorrect ones reduce it. No real money changes hands in the trial.

The internal test follows Meta’s typical practice of evaluating new products with staff before any wider release. The company has not confirmed a public launch date or stated whether a commercial version would retain the points-only model or eventually permit cash wagers. Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Project Background and Name Changes

Details of Meta’s interest in prediction markets first emerged earlier this year. In June the project was reported under the working title Arena. The name has since shifted to Takes, and further changes remain possible before any public debut. The effort is understood to stem from direction by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to develop a standalone forecasting product.

The points-based design distinguishes Takes from established platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, where users trade contracts settled in real money. Whether Meta ultimately introduces cash markets or keeps the system limited to virtual credits is unresolved.

How the Employee Trial Operates

Access is restricted to Meta staff. Users select questions or events and allocate cred to their chosen outcomes. Settlements adjust balances according to accuracy. The format allows employees to express and compare forecasts without financial risk. One recent question asked whether former Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook would succeed Jensen Huang as Nvidia’s chief executive following Huang’s resignation; most participants wagered against that outcome. Another question concerned the winner of a Friday episode of the television program Jeopardy.

Such internal trials can generate engagement data and refine the product, yet they do not guarantee a public rollout. Meta previously experimented with a similar points-based forecasting service called Forecast between 2020 and 2021 before shutting it down.

Competitive Context and Regulatory Pressure

A public version of Takes would enter a market already occupied by platforms that attract younger users with real-money event contracts. At the same time, those operators face growing state-level scrutiny. Louisiana recently filed suit against prediction-market firms, becoming the 13th state to take enforcement action. Officials in those jurisdictions contend the products constitute illegal gambling, a claim the platforms dispute.

By operating solely with virtual points during the current test, Meta avoids the immediate regulatory questions that surround cash-settled contracts. Any future decision to introduce real-money features would place the company in the same contested environment.

The testing phase continues without a stated schedule for broader availability. Meta’s next steps will determine whether Takes remains an internal experiment or evolves into a product available outside the company.