Corporation Meta has begun internal testing of its own prediction markets app called Takes. This is evidenced by data obtained from informed sources familiar with the product's development.
The key feature of Takes is the rejection of real-money bets. Instead of financial instruments, users will be offered virtual points, which allows the platform to circumvent regulatory restrictions related to gambling and event betting.
What's behind the launch
Meta's initiative reflects a broader trend of integrating forecasting mechanics into major social ecosystems. Prediction markets, which remained a niche tool for decades, have turned into one of the most dynamic segments of digital products — largely due to growing interest in collective forecasting of events in politics, economics, and technology.
The virtual-points model reduces legal risks: Meta avoids directly tying the product to monetary transactions, which is critically important amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of event betting in the US and Europe. At the same time, this scheme allows the company to accumulate user data and test engagement mechanics without financial obligations to participants.
Testing is being conducted in a closed mode among employees — a standard Meta practice before a public release. The timing of a possible launch and the geography of distribution have not yet been disclosed.
Cryptalist analysis: Meta's entry into the prediction market signals the formation of a new competitive field, where social platforms are beginning to compete directly with specialized forecasting services. The choice of a virtual-points model demonstrates a cautious regulatory compliance strategy, but it is precisely Meta's mass audience reach that could turn a niche tool into a mainstream product. For the market, this means strengthening the legitimacy of the collective forecasting concept and a potential influx of institutional attention to the segment.