President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Monday, June 22, 2026, to accelerate the development of quantum computing and address related cyber threats [1], [2].
These directives represent a strategic push to ensure the U.S. maintains a technological edge in a field that could revolutionize everything from medicine to cryptography. By setting concrete deadlines, the administration is attempting to move quantum technology from theoretical research into practical, commercial application.
One of the orders specifically targets the creation of a commercially relevant quantum computer by 2028 [3]. This timeline is more aggressive than some industry projections, as some leading firms, including IBM, Microsoft, and Google, are expected to produce large-scale commercial devices by 2029 [4].
The second executive order focuses on the security implications of this technology. Quantum computers could potentially break current encryption methods, creating significant vulnerabilities for government data. To counter this, the administration has set a target of 2031 for the full implementation of post-quantum cryptography across all U.S. agencies [5].
The orders were signed at the White House in Washington, D.C. [2], [6]. The move is designed to spur private sector innovation while simultaneously hardening federal infrastructure against the very tools the government is seeking to develop.
Industry observers have noted that the push for a 2028 breakthrough is intended to align the achievement of a powerful quantum computer with the end of the current administration [7]. The effort combines a drive for economic dominance in a new tech sector with a defensive posture against future cyberattacks.
“President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Monday, June 22, 2026, to accelerate the development of quantum computing”
The acceleration of quantum computing development creates a dual-track challenge for the U.S. government. While the 2028 target for commercial viability aims for economic and scientific leadership, the 2031 deadline for post-quantum cryptography acknowledges a critical security gap. If quantum computing capabilities advance faster than the ability to secure networks, the U.S. could face a period of extreme vulnerability where legacy encrypted data becomes accessible to any entity possessing a functional quantum device.
