Trump launches quantum race as crypto faces Q-Day threat

President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders designed to accelerate U.S. quantum computing development and prepare federal agencies for the potential security risks posed by future quantum machines.

According to the White House, Trump approved the measures on June 22 as part of a broader effort to strengthen American leadership in quantum technologies, a field widely viewed as critical for future advances in computing, communications, and cybersecurity.

Speaking during the signing event, Trump said “quantum technologies represents the next generation of innovation across computing, sensing, and networking,” adding that the sector carries significant implications for economic growth, scientific research, and national security.

The first order, Executive Order 14411, establishes the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science, or QC-ADDS, initiative. Under the directive, the Department of Energy must identify technical requirements for an advanced quantum computer within 90 days and work toward deploying at least one such system at a federal research facility. 

The Department of Commerce is also tasked with exploring ways to encourage participation from private-sector quantum computing companies.

Additional provisions require federal agencies, including NASA, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Commerce, to develop five-year plans for advancing quantum sensing and networking technologies.

The order also includes measures aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains, expanding the quantum workforce, and increasing protections for sensitive research.

Federal agencies are assessing post-quantum security risks

Of particular interest to the crypto industry, the order directs intelligence agencies to assess how increasingly powerful commercial quantum computers could affect national security, including the transition to post-quantum cryptography.

The directive arrives as concerns persist over the hypothetical arrival of “Q-Day,” the point at which quantum computers become capable of breaking encryption systems that currently secure financial networks, government infrastructure, and blockchain wallets.

While no existing quantum computer poses such a threat today, policymakers and cryptography experts have increasingly called for preparations to begin before the technology reaches that stage.

According to a recent report from Coinbase’s independent advisory board of cryptography experts, the Bitcoin community should start planning a migration path to post-quantum cryptography rather than waiting until quantum computing becomes an immediate concern. The report stated that uncertainty surrounding future advances in the field justifies early preparation.

Crypto projects are already preparing for future threats

Discussions around quantum-resistant security have also expanded beyond Bitcoin.

Recently, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao proposed a future migration period for Bitcoin holders following any transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. Zhao argued that vulnerable legacy addresses should not remain exposed indefinitely if quantum computers eventually become capable of breaking existing security models, while emphasizing that any protocol change would require community consensus.

Elsewhere, researchers associated with the Ethereum Foundation’s Kohaku privacy project have suggested that Ethereum accounts could begin adding certain post-quantum protections without waiting for a hard fork. According to Kohaku lead Nico, wallet-level protections could be introduced through smart contract logic while longer-term protocol upgrades continue to be explored.

Meanwhile, the Algorand Foundation has released a roadmap intended to make the layer-1 network broadly quantum-resilient by the end of 2027. The foundation said the initiative will cover user accounts, wallets, developer tools, staking infrastructure, and consensus systems.

As governments increase investment in quantum computing research, blockchain developers and cryptography experts are increasingly examining how existing security systems can be upgraded before quantum computers become capable of challenging today’s encryption standards.