University of Kwazulu-Natal

Quantum Computing And Cybersecurity Stocks To Watch In 2026

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
quantum computing and cybersecurity stocks to watch in 2026

Crypto experts who have monitored the situation for decades know that quantum computing is not a cybersecurity threat to take lightly. Regulatory bodies have already moved to suggest mitigation measures, and NIST has finalized its principal set of encryption algorithms. The national security community has also provided a target: The NSA wants all national security systems quantum-resistant by 2035, which pushes procurement today. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is thus now a product decision. For investors, that turns quantum risk into a near-term demand driver for vendors that can help enterprises migrate cryptography risks and modernize security stacks. Let's explore the landscape of opportunities stemming from addressing these looming cybersecurity gaps.

The market for quantum technologies could be as large as $97 billion by 2035, with quantum computing being the biggest share of the market over the next decade. Meanwhile, the industry leans into hybrid workflows where classical systems steer quantum jobs, as seen in IBM’s work on error mitigation at utility scale. The near-term opportunity is less about breaking RSA tomorrow, and more about software, where algorithmic advances are shifting attention from raw qubits to tools and stacks, a trend highlighted by the software pivot in... Put differently, the investment case for quantum computing stocks in 2026 centers on quantum-safe deployments and real customers rather than science experiments or hyped claims. Cloud vendors and networks are already enabling PQC security measures. Google has enabled hybrid Kyber key exchange in Chrome, and Cloudflare has rolled out post-quantum support to origins.

These deployments are not a guarantee of stock returns by investing in solutions vendors, but they validate a market that quantum computing and cybersecurity stocks can sell into. And that market is almost certainly going to be growing. For equity investors looking beyond incremental AI investments, quantum computing is emerging as one of the most lucrative opportunities heading into 2026. Industry estimates show the global quantum computing market is expected to grow from $0.8 billion in 2025 to $1.08 billion in 2026, with a projected CAGR of 35.2% through 2035 as enterprises accelerate adoption... McKinsey estimates quantum computing-related revenues could reach up to $72 billion by 2035, driven by applications in optimization, materials science, drug discovery and complex financial modeling. For investors, this growth narrative has already translated into outsized stock performance, with several pure-play quantum stocks delivering quadruple-digit returns during 2024–2025 despite the absence of positive earnings, as revenues scaled from a small...

The Defiance Quantum ETF QTUM gained 103.9% during this period. In this article, we discuss three stocks- IonQ IONQ, International Business Machines IBM and NVIDIA NVDA that are expected to deliver significant gains in 2026, banking on accelerating quantum adoption, expanding commercial pipelines and... While revenues remain modest and profitability elusive, the convergence of accelerating enterprise interest, rising government and corporate funding and visible technical progress is positioning 2026 as a potential inflection year, when valuation dispersion between... For investors willing to tolerate volatility, quantum computing increasingly resembles a high-beta, early-cycle technology bet rather than a distant scientific experiment. Capital deployment into the sector is surging, with quantum funding more than doubling year over year in 2025. Going by SPINQ, total equity funding reached $3.77 billion across the first three quarters of 2025, positioning quantum computing among the fastest-growing deep-tech segments globally and setting the stage for further capital inflows in...

AMZN Quick QuoteAMZN IBM Quick QuoteIBM GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL IONQ Quick QuoteIONQ QBTS Quick QuoteQBTS The year 2025 delivered clearer engineering roadmaps, major capital commitments and steady commercial traction in quantum computing. IBM (IBM Quick QuoteIBM - Free Report) unveiled a new IBM Quantum data center and a multi-year path toward fault-tolerant systems, giving markets confidence in its technical timetable. Amazon’s AWS (AMZN Quick QuoteAMZN - Free Report) introduced its first quantum chip, Ocelot, designed to cut error-correction overhead by up to 90%—a step that could significantly accelerate practical quantum hardware. Honeywell’s Quantinuum raised about $600 million at a near-$10 billion valuation, underscoring strong private-capital conviction and gaining added credibility through a DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative contract. Meanwhile, Google’s (GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL - Free Report) 105-qubit Willow chip ran the “Quantum Echoes” algorithm, achieving the first verifiable quantum advantage, reportedly 13,000× faster than classical supercomputers for a molecular-simulation task—widely viewed as...

IonQ (IONQ Quick QuoteIONQ - Free Report) and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS Quick QuoteQBTS - Free Report) enter 2026 as rising contenders, with IonQ advancing its roadmap and cloud access and D-Wave expanding its hybrid... Together, these developments have shifted investor expectations from distant scientific promise to nearer-term commercialization. This momentum suggests continued capital deployment in 2026, more customer engagements and deeper industry-government collaborations, especially in materials science, pharmaceuticals and cloud services, supporting selective revenue growth and further valuation gains for platforms that... That said, the progress still comes with real risks. True fault-tolerant quantum computers are years away, and until companies can demonstrate millions of stable logical qubits running real workloads, investment outcomes will remain uncertain. The rewards could be large, but timelines may stretch.

As a result, many investors choose staged, milestone-based funding rather than committing all their capital upfront. The year 2025 delivered clearer engineering roadmaps, major capital commitments and steady commercial traction in quantum computing. IBM IBM unveiled a new IBM Quantum data center and a multi-year path toward fault-tolerant systems, giving markets confidence in its technical timetable. Amazon’s AWS AMZN introduced its first quantum chip, Ocelot, designed to cut error-correction overhead by up to 90%—a step that could significantly accelerate practical quantum hardware. Honeywell’s Quantinuum raised about $600 million at a near-$10 billion valuation, underscoring strong private-capital conviction and gaining added credibility through a DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative contract. Meanwhile, Google’s GOOGL 105-qubit Willow chip ran the “Quantum Echoes” algorithm, achieving the first verifiable quantum advantage, reportedly 13,000× faster than classical supercomputers for a molecular-simulation task—widely viewed as the first real-world quantum application.

IonQ IONQ and D-Wave Quantum QBTS enter 2026 as rising contenders, with IonQ advancing its roadmap and cloud access and D-Wave expanding its hybrid platform as customer adoption increases. Together, these developments have shifted investor expectations from distant scientific promise to nearer-term commercialization. This momentum suggests continued capital deployment in 2026, more customer engagements and deeper industry-government collaborations, especially in materials science, pharmaceuticals and cloud services, supporting selective revenue growth and further valuation gains for platforms that... That said, the progress still comes with real risks. True fault-tolerant quantum computers are years away, and until companies can demonstrate millions of stable logical qubits running real workloads, investment outcomes will remain uncertain. The rewards could be large, but timelines may stretch.

As a result, many investors choose staged, milestone-based funding rather than committing all their capital upfront. Currently, it will be sensible to consider pure-play quantum stocks, provided investors understand the sector’s high-risk, high-reward profile. These companies offer the most direct exposure to breakthroughs in quantum hardware and software, but they are also more volatile and heavily dependent on technical execution. For long-term, disciplined investors, a small, diversified allocation can provide early exposure to a technology that may ultimately reshape computing, AI and cybersecurity, while keeping overall portfolio risk in check. Quantum computing stocks surge 2023–2025; IonQ, Rigetti lead; IBM, Microsoft, Google push milestones into 2026. Quantum computing is rapidly evolving from a lab experiment into a nascent industry, with 2025 marking an inflection point in investment and innovation.

Enthusiasm has driven quantum computing stocks sharply higher over the past year – several pure-play quantum companies saw their share prices surge hundreds or even thousands of percent in 2023–2025. This rally reflects optimism about quantum technology’s transformative long-term potential (Boston Consulting Group estimates $450–850 billion in economic value by 2040), even as near-term revenues remain modest.‍ As we approach 2026, a handful of U.S.-based companies stand out for credible progress and significant investment in quantum computing. These include both pure-play quantum computing startups focused on quantum processors, as well as tech giants treating quantum as a strategic R&D priority. Below, we profile the top publicly traded U.S. companies leading in quantum computing – highlighting each company’s focus in quantum, recent developments (2023–2025), partnerships, analyst sentiment for 2026, and key metrics like market capitalization and stock performance.

A comparison table is provided at the end to summarize their market caps, quantum focus areas, and performance outlook. These are dedicated quantum technology firms whose core business is building quantum computers or related quantum systems. They offer the most direct exposure to quantum computing’s growth, though they tend to be early-stage with high volatility and risk. IonQ is a Maryland-based pure-play quantum computing company, founded in 2015 as a spin-out from academic research. It specializes in trapped-ion quantum processors, which use electrically trapped ytterbium ions as qubits. This approach offers long coherence times and high fidelity at near-room temperatures, avoiding the extreme cryogenics required by superconducting qubits.

IonQ provides access to its quantum systems through cloud platforms like Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, positioning itself as a leader in quantum cloud services. Daily stocks & crypto headlines, free to your inbox By continuing, I agree to the Market Data Terms of Service and Privacy Statement Quantum computing is revolutionizing technology, offering cutting-edge solutions to problems beyond the capabilities of traditional computing. As we approach 2026, this groundbreaking technology is entering a pivotal phase, with increased scalability, real-world applications, and growing national security significance. Governments and enterprises are allocating significant resources into quantum advancements, making it an exciting time for investors looking to capitalize on this transformative sector.

Below, we spotlight three quantum computing stocks poised for significant growth in the coming years. IonQ is leading the charge in the quantum computing space with its impressive growth trajectory and groundbreaking advancements in high-fidelity trapped-ion systems. Through its acquisition of Oxford Ionics, IonQ is surpassing 64 qubits, cementing its place as a major player in scalable quantum hardware. The company’s revenue model is diversifying, placing a greater emphasis on enterprise and government contracts. In Q3 2025, IonQ reported $39.9 million in revenue, a remarkable 222% year-over-year growth. Despite aggressive investments resulting in a $1.1 billion net loss, the company raised its 2025 revenue forecast to $106-$110 million.

IonQ’s shares are currently trading at $46, reflecting a >6% growth year-to-date. Investors seeking exposure to a pure-play quantum hardware provider should closely monitor this stock. D-Wave Quantum takes an innovative approach, prioritizing real-world use cases over theoretical capabilities. Its Advantage2 system excels in solving complex optimization problems, offering tangible solutions for businesses already leveraging quantum tools. The company’s emphasis on customer integration into existing workflows is creating higher switching costs and strong recurring usage. With international expansion reducing reliance on U.S.

government demand, D-Wave Quantum is attracting investors seeking practical and scalable quantum applications. QBTS shares have surged nearly 150% year-to-date, closing at $23.74 during the last trading session. This growth highlights the company’s ability to deliver near-term value while paving the way for long-term quantum breakthroughs.

People Also Search

Crypto Experts Who Have Monitored The Situation For Decades Know

Crypto experts who have monitored the situation for decades know that quantum computing is not a cybersecurity threat to take lightly. Regulatory bodies have already moved to suggest mitigation measures, and NIST has finalized its principal set of encryption algorithms. The national security community has also provided a target: The NSA wants all national security systems quantum-resistant by 2035...

The Market For Quantum Technologies Could Be As Large As

The market for quantum technologies could be as large as $97 billion by 2035, with quantum computing being the biggest share of the market over the next decade. Meanwhile, the industry leans into hybrid workflows where classical systems steer quantum jobs, as seen in IBM’s work on error mitigation at utility scale. The near-term opportunity is less about breaking RSA tomorrow, and more about softw...

These Deployments Are Not A Guarantee Of Stock Returns By

These deployments are not a guarantee of stock returns by investing in solutions vendors, but they validate a market that quantum computing and cybersecurity stocks can sell into. And that market is almost certainly going to be growing. For equity investors looking beyond incremental AI investments, quantum computing is emerging as one of the most lucrative opportunities heading into 2026. Industr...

The Defiance Quantum ETF QTUM Gained 103.9% During This Period.

The Defiance Quantum ETF QTUM gained 103.9% during this period. In this article, we discuss three stocks- IonQ IONQ, International Business Machines IBM and NVIDIA NVDA that are expected to deliver significant gains in 2026, banking on accelerating quantum adoption, expanding commercial pipelines and... While revenues remain modest and profitability elusive, the convergence of accelerating enterpr...

AMZN Quick QuoteAMZN IBM Quick QuoteIBM GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL IONQ

AMZN Quick QuoteAMZN IBM Quick QuoteIBM GOOGL Quick QuoteGOOGL IONQ Quick QuoteIONQ QBTS Quick QuoteQBTS The year 2025 delivered clearer engineering roadmaps, major capital commitments and steady commercial traction in quantum computing. IBM (IBM Quick QuoteIBM - Free Report) unveiled a new IBM Quantum data center and a multi-year path toward fault-tolerant systems, giving markets confidence in it...