On June 22, 2026, the White House issued two executive orders on quantum technology: Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation and Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks. Quantum computers can solve certain problems far faster than ordinary computers, which opens up new commercial possibilities but also threatens the encryption that protects most online communication and stored data today. The orders push federal agencies past pure research toward deployment, commercialization, workforce building, and national security uses.
