The U.S. government is moving on two tracks at once: building a quantum computer and hardening encryption before such machines become capable of breaking today’s systems. The White House on Monday released two executive orders, one aimed at accelerating large-scale quantum computing and another setting deadlines for federal agencies to migrate to post-quantum cryptography.
Order 14411 pushes a large-scale quantum system
Executive Order 14411 backs an initiative called QC-ADDS, with the stated goal of producing a large-scale quantum computer. The order says the intent is to deliver at least one such machine to a Department of Energy facility and, where possible, make it available to the scientific community. It also directs the Pentagon to field quantum sensors by September 30, 2028.
The timeline is specific. Within 60 days of the order, the relevant secretary is instructed to identify at least three next-generation quantum sensor projects to prioritize. The document also lays out plans tied to workforce training and supply chains, showing that the effort extends beyond pure research into deployment capacity.
Order 14409 sets deadlines for post-quantum migration
Executive Order 14409 addresses the point at which quantum computers become strong enough to defeat current encryption. It states that adversaries may already be collecting encrypted U.S. data and storing it for future decryption once the required quantum capability arrives. That is the “harvest now, decrypt later” scenario.
The response is a fixed migration schedule. Federal agencies must move their most sensitive systems to post-quantum cryptography for key establishment by the end of 2030, and for digital signatures by the end of 2031. In practical terms, the government is preparing to replace the current way secure encrypted connections are established with methods designed to withstand future quantum attacks.
Bitcoin and Ethereum security questions return to focus
Quantum computing has remained a live issue in crypto because of its potential effect on elliptic curve cryptography, which underpins Bitcoin and Ethereum. The report notes that Google researchers previously said a sufficiently powerful quantum machine could crack Bitcoin’s blockchain with far less power than earlier estimates suggested.
A paper published in March, co-authored by Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake and Stanford cryptographer Dan Boneh, said breaking the elliptic curve cryptography behind Bitcoin and Ethereum could require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits. That figure represented a 20-fold drop from prior estimates. Google has set 2029 as its internal deadline to migrate infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography, and Ethereum has adopted a similar target. Other blockchains, including Bitcoin, have also been weighing defensive options.