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AppLovin Faces Money-Laundering Claims—Here’s What’s Missing
Reported by Leo Miller. Originally Published: 1/28/2026.
What You Need to Know
- AppLovin has faced a series of short-seller reports over the past year, with CapitalWatch issuing the first such report of 2026.
- The company strongly denies CapitalWatch’s allegations that its business was used to facilitate money laundering.
- Despite the recent decline in shares, analysts see strong upside potential in APP.
For advertising technology stock AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), short reports — critical research notes published by investors betting the stock will fall — have become a recurring theme. Critical reports from Fuzzy Panda Research and Culper Research were released early in 2025 and helped push AppLovin shares down more than 12% on Feb. 26, 2025. On Mar. 27, research firm Muddy Waters issued another report, sending the stock lower by over 20%.
Despite the flurry of negative reports, markets and many Wall Street analysts have largely looked past those concerns. AppLovin rose roughly 108% in 2025 after delivering a series of strong earnings reports, and some price targets have climbed as high as $860 — well above the $450 range seen in early 2025.
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At the start of 2026, AppLovin faced another sell-off after a short report from CapitalWatch led shares to fall almost 6% on Jan. 21, 2026. Shares recovered some of those losses in subsequent sessions. While markets often react quickly to headline-driven short reports regardless of their ultimate merit, those initial moves raise questions about how investors should evaluate the claims and what context may be missing from the broader narrative.
Below, we break down what short sellers are alleging and offer an updated outlook on AppLovin.
CapitalWatch Claims APP Involvement in Money-Laundering Scheme
CapitalWatch has leveled serious accusations against AppLovin, alleging that two of the company’s largest shareholders are using AppLovin’s business to launder money.
AppLovin operates as a marketplace that helps buyers and sellers of digital advertising transact, taking a percentage fee for facilitating those auctions and ad placements.
For example, if an advertiser pays $1,000 for ad placement and AppLovin takes a 25% fee, the publisher would receive $750.
CapitalWatch contends these two shareholders control networks of companies on both sides of such transactions, with AppLovin in the middle, and that illicit funds are being funneled through the platform. The report alleges a broader money-laundering scheme tied to those networks.
AppLovin Categorically Denies CapitalWatch Claims
AppLovin responded to the CapitalWatch report in emailed statements to media outlets, calling it “rife with false, misleading, and nonsensical allegations” and saying claims it facilitated money laundering are “patently false.” The company said the report misunderstands its business model and compliance practices, has labeled the allegations “conspiratorial,” and has sent CapitalWatch a cease-and-desist letter.
Although the CapitalWatch report draws numerous associations between AppLovin’s operations and an alleged crime network in Asia, it does not present primary evidence to substantiate the most serious charges. The report does not include documents, contracts, invoices, or bank records that clearly demonstrate money moving between the accused companies and AppLovin.
It’s also important to remember that authors of short reports often have a financial incentive to see a stock decline. By taking short positions and then publishing damaging research, some short sellers can profit if markets sell off — a dynamic that has driven sharp moves in AppLovin after prior short reports in 2025.
Separately, Bloomberg reported in October that the SEC is investigating AppLovin, though the agency has not confirmed an investigation or alleged any wrongdoing publicly. That reporting focused on the company’s data collection practices and possible violations of agreements with app store operators like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), not on money laundering. Since Bloomberg’s initial story, there have been no public updates or enforcement actions related to that matter.
Analysts Eye Upside Despite Allegations
AppLovin faces potential regulatory, reputational, and legal risks. Still, so far, short-seller reports have not produced confirmed regulatory action or sustained investor exodus. Future developments in any regulatory investigations and an ongoing class action lawsuit will be important risk factors to monitor.
AppLovin shares reached a 52-week closing high near $734 on Dec. 22. As of the Jan. 27 close, the shares were around $544, a decline of roughly 26% from that high.
Wall Street analysts still see substantial upside. Needham and Company set a $700 price target on Jan. 26, shortly after the CapitalWatch report, and the consensus price target on AppLovin is about $706, implying roughly 30% upside from current levels.
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