Trump's Quantum Orders Bring Crypto Security Deadline Forward

President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders to accelerate the development of quantum technology and cryptography in the US. The moves aim to cement the country's position as a leader in the field, particularly against China. The first order establishes a Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science initiative and tasks Commerce with expanding federal investment in private quantum firms.

The second executive order accelerates the federal government's migration to post-quantum cryptography by four years, moving the deadline from 2035 to December 2031. This means that federal agencies will have to deploy quantum sensors and networks within five years and use NIST-standard post-quantum algorithms by the end of 2030.

Bitcoin and Ethereum developers are bracing for the impact of a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, which could potentially derive private keys from public keys. The Satoshi-era wallets, where public keys are visible, are among those at risk, with approximately 7 million BTC sitting in exposed addresses.