Quantum news — July 01, 2026

Microsoft sharpened its post-quantum cryptography timeline on July 1, announcing it will complete the transition of its core services to quantum-safe algorithms by 2029, two years earlier than previously signalled. The Hacker News noted that the acceleration reflects growing concern about how quickly cryptographically relevant quantum computers could arrive [1]. Reinforcing that urgency, AWS published guidance for US federal agencies on aligning quantum computing adoption with post-quantum cryptography mandates, framing both as interlinked priorities rather than separate programmes [2]. Moody's weighed in on the Bitcoin angle, warning that the Trump administration's quantum push increases pressure on the security of the roughly seven million Bitcoin held in vulnerable address formats [3]. On the corporate side, BTQ Technologies completed its acquisition of French quantum software firm QPerfect after receiving French regulatory approval, a deal that bolsters BTQ's post-quantum security portfolio with QPerfect's simulation and algorithm capabilities [4]. Classiq and South Korean partner QAI jointly launched the country's first locally hosted quantum-as-a-service offering, giving Korean enterprises access to quantum cloud resources without routing workloads offshore [5]. Archer Materials signed a three-year quantum computing agreement with IonQ, deepening the Australian semiconductor company's engagement with trapped-ion hardware as it continues developing its own qubit chip technology [6]. In hardware and interconnect news, QTREX Quantum unveiled a patent-pending cryogenic microwave interconnect architecture designed to cut the heat load at millikelvin temperatures inside dilution refrigerators, addressing one of the practical engineering bottlenecks that limits qubit counts in superconducting systems [7]. MemQ outlined a path toward quantum scale-out, proposing a memory-centric architecture intended to overcome the data-movement constraints that arise as quantum processors grow larger [8]. Scientific American offered a detailed assessment of why a 98-qubit quantum computer represents a genuine milestone rather than an incremental step, pointing to the combination of qubit quality and circuit depth achievable at that scale [9]. Samsung disclosed that it is using quantum computing combined with AI to accelerate extreme ultraviolet lithography processes in advanced chip fabrication, a move aimed at closing the gap with TSMC by optimising the most computationally demanding step in semiconductor manufacturing [10]. The CIA announced an internal reorganisation to embed artificial intelligence and quantum computing capabilities more deeply into its analytical and operational structures, a rare public acknowledgement of how intelligence agencies are positioning for the quantum era [11]. SuperQ Quantum closed a C$4.6 million oversubscribed brokered financing round, providing the early-stage company with capital to advance its quantum hardware development [12]. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory opened registration for a hands-on workshop focused on real-world quantum computing applications, targeting practitioners who want to move beyond theoretical exploration [13]. NIST's newly established quantum manufacturing centre, operated by SRI and backed by $20 million, is specifically targeting the cryostat production bottleneck that constrains the scaling of superconducting quantum devices [14]. On the markets side, Quantinuum continued to attract Wall Street attention following its recent listing, with analysts debating whether the post-IPO rally still offers a compelling entry point [15].