US Signs Quantum Computing Orders: Could Bitcoin Be At Risk?

United States President Donald Trump has signed a mandate accelerating Quantum Computing progress in the nation. Here’s why this could spell trouble for Bitcoin and other digital assets.

Why The New U.S. Orders Could Be Relevant For Bitcoin

The White House has announced a major push into Quantum Computing technology, with U.S. President Donald Trump signing two executive orders aimed at accelerating the country’s development of Quantum Computing while strengthening defenses against the cybersecurity risks that the technology could create.

Quantum Computing refers to an upcoming class of computers that could, in theory, be powerful enough to solve problems that classical computers aren’t able to. As its name suggests, the technology leverages the laws of Quantum Physics to execute computing tasks.

Because sufficiently advanced Quantum Computers could break widely used encryption methods, the technology is often viewed as a long-term threat to existing cryptographic systems. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin can fall under this category. Several in the BTC community have raised alarm around the topic, with a particularly vocal voice being Capriole Investment’s Charles Edwards.

Edwards has repeatedly called for Bitcoin to be upgraded to post-Quantum cryptography. While upgrade proposals have been created, none have been put into action yet. Commenting on the U.S. orders, the Capriole founder noted, “Quantum Computing is probably the most undervalued asset class in the world by orders of magnitude.”

While the discussion around Quantum focuses on long-term technological risks, the crypto market continues to face more immediate challenges. A recent crypto market crash triggered more than $100 billion in liquidations across digital assets, highlighting the volatility that investors are currently dealing with.

The U.S. Quantum Orders Explained

As reported by Reuters, the U.S. administration believes that a powerful Quantum Computer could become a reality as early as 2028. To prepare for the potential threats posed by such systems, one of the executive orders directs federal agencies to transition critical government infrastructure to post-Quantum cryptography by 2030 or 2031.

The White House said the initiative is intended to maintain U.S. leadership in the global Quantum race, particularly against China. “We’re already the leader by a lot, and we’re going to be now the leader by a lot more,” said Trump in the announcement.

Beyond computing, the orders also call for the deployment of Quantum sensors across defense and government applications. The Pentagon has been tasked with deploying Quantum sensing capabilities by 2028, while federal agencies are expected to develop plans for Quantum-enabled sensors and networks over the next five years.

At the same time as these Quantum orders, the U.S. government has been progressing the CLARITY Act. The U.S. House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a hearing for the act on July 17.