Quantum computing continues to be one of the biggest fears in crypto — how will Donald Trump's recent orders have an effect?
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Key Takeaways
Trump accelerates US quantum ambitions.
Bitcoin faces growing quantum concerns.
The crypto industry is already preparing.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed two executive orders to accelerate US leadership in quantum technologies. The White House believes it could have a powerful quantum computer by 2028.
The move comes as warnings continue to shake the crypto industry about the existential risk posed to digital assets such as Bitcoin and XRP.
With two new orders now in motion, CCN has taken a look at the potential impact on Bitcoin and XRP’s future price.
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The White House said the orders are designed to strengthen America’s position in quantum computing, sensing, and networking technologies.
Trump’s first executive order is aimed at protecting government computers from quantum cyberattacks. It aims to switch all government computing to post-quantum cryptography by 2031.
The second order focuses on building quantum sensors by 2028 for use in war zones.
Speaking at the White House while signing the orders, Trump described quantum technologies as critical to the country’s future.
“It’s really a big deal that we’re doing today and [the] country’s doing really well,” Trump said.
Investing in American quantum leadership like never before.
President Trump signs executive orders on quantum, supercharging a national effort in innovation in quantum technologies, ensuring national security and continuing American growth in a critical industry. 💻🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/cQmdCs0s4N
Trump also pointed to the National Quantum Initiative Act that he signed during his first administration.
“That helped unleash billions of dollars of private investment in America’s quantum industrial base promoting significant scientific and technological progress like we’ve never seen before actually.”
He added that the new orders are intended to build on that momentum.
“We’re already the leader by a lot and we’re going to be now the leader by a lot more,” he said.
Quantum Computer Threatens Bitcoin’s Security
Trump’s announcement comes as crypto researchers increasingly discuss the risks posed by advanced quantum computers.
Bitcoin currently relies on elliptic-curve cryptography (ECDSA) and SHA-256 hashing to secure wallets and validate transactions.
These cryptographic systems are considered highly secure against conventional computers.
However, researchers have noted that a powerful quantum computer could run algorithms to break certain forms of public-key cryptography.
This could potentially allow attackers to derive private keys from public keys more efficiently than classical computers.
In theory, that could enable unauthorized transaction signing and compromise some wallet security models — if not properly protected.
While many experts view the threat as a long-term challenge with little immediate risk, the looming threat has raised concerns about potentially muted long-term prices while the risk persists.
Charles Edwards Warned Bitcoin Could Fall Below $50,000
In December, analyst Charles Edwards argued that Bitcoin’s price was at risk if the quantum computing threat was not addressed.
“Starting to think we will just need a huge bear market to wash out the idiots who think the Quantum threat to Bitcoin is a joke, and to incentive the maxis into taking action to upgrade the network,” Edwards wrote.
Starting to think we will just need a huge bear market to wash out the idiots who think the Quantum threat to Bitcoin is a joke, and to incentive the maxis into taking action to upgrade the network. If We haven't deployed a fix by 2028, I expect Bitcoin will be sub $50K and…
The proposal outlined a method for securing Bitcoin transactions against a hypothetical large-scale quantum computer without requiring changes to Bitcoin’s core protocol.
Although it has been found effective, the proposal remains largely experimental and carries significant trade-offs.
StarkWare estimates that users would need to spend roughly $75 to $150 in computing costs per transaction. This makes it impractical for everyday payments.
Even so, the project has been welcomed by Bitcoin industry figures as evidence that a fix is getting close.
JAN3 Chief Executive Samson Mow said that “Bitcoin defenses against non-existent quantum computers were moving along at an incredibly fast pace.”
Ripple Says It Has Already Begun Preparing for a Quantum Future
Work is also being done on Bitcoin, as well as XRP.
Speaking on the Thinking Crypto podcast, Ripple engineering chief Ayo Akinyele said the company and the broader XRP Ledger community have already been working on potential quantum-resistant solutions.
According to Akinyele, Ripple’s cryptography teams and academic researchers began investigating post-quantum cryptography standards during 2024 and 2025.
He also referenced research from Google’s quantum computing division. Google said some threats to existing cryptographic systems could emerge as early as 2029.
“Regardless of where the reality hits, we can’t afford to be unprepared,” Akinyele said.
Adding: “We actually have to be proactive to be able to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
Bitcoin’s Price If the US Gains a Quantum Computer?
Any impact on Bitcoin’s price would depend largely on whether a newly developed quantum computer could realistically threaten the network’s cryptography.
In a bullish scenario, a major US breakthrough could be viewed as evidence of American technological leadership without posing an immediate threat to Bitcoin.
Investors could interpret the development as meaning years remain before practical cryptographic attacks.
In a bearish scenario, evidence that a quantum computer was approaching the capability needed to break widely used public-key cryptography could trigger significant uncertainty.
Investors might worry about the security of exposed Bitcoin addresses and the timeline for implementing network-wide upgrades, even if it remained in the US government’s hands.
Under that scenario, analysts such as Edwards have argued that Bitcoin could experience a prolonged bear market.
What Could Happen to XRP’s Price?
XRP’s price could face similar concerns, as the XRPL also relies on cryptographic signatures that will eventually need to evolve in a post-quantum world.
However, some investors may view Ripple’s ongoing quantum-resistance efforts as a mitigating factor.
If the market believed XRP was ahead of competitors in adopting security standards, some traders could view the asset as relatively better positioned than other networks.
Conversely, if a practical quantum threat emerged before a quantum fix was found, XRP could still face significant selling pressure.
XRP was trading around $1.10 at the time of writing.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
