Overview
- President Trump signed two executive orders on Monday, June 22, 2026, launching QC-ADDS to pursue a “scientifically relevant” quantum computer and new programs for quantum sensors and networks.
- The orders require the Department of Energy to define technical specifications within 90 days and host at least one advanced system at a DOE lab, and they direct NIST to run federal post‑quantum migration pilots by the end of 2027.
- Federal cryptography deadlines were accelerated so that key establishment moves to 2030 and digital signatures and high‑impact environments move to 2031, with OMB, the National Cyber Director and CISA to lead the transition.
- The package ties research goals to industrial policy by expanding domestic supply‑chain and workforce initiatives, formalizing agency roles and enlarging FBI and counterintelligence protections to shield quantum research from foreign spying.
- The orders have already pushed industry and crypto groups to speed post‑quantum planning because the government timetable creates a clear ‘Q‑Day’ clock that raises practical migration and governance questions for blockchains and critical networks.