Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson used a recent update from Wyoming to turn quantum computing talk from speculation into concrete planning. Speaking “from up here at the clinic,” he highlighted DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) as a key milestone.
According to Hoskinson, DARPA has selected 11 companies to move into Stage B of the initiative, where their quantum computing designs will be rigorously evaluated. The goal: determine whether utility-scale quantum computers can realistically exist by 2033.
DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative Gets Real
Hoskinson explained that the QBI program separates hype from reality. He quoted the program manager noting the split among experts: “Half believe quantum computing will revolutionize everything, and half think it will never surpass a regular laptop in usefulness.”
The staged process is designed to test companies methodically:
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Stage A: Six months of scrutiny to see if a design has merit.
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Stage B: A one-year deep dive where companies fully disclose their plans.
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Stage C: The hardware trial, where designs are tested and verified against objective problems.
Hoskinson emphasized that the initiative is not about picking a single approach—quantum computing is exploring multiple families of technology, including neutral atoms, silicon-based chips, superconducting circuits, trapped ions, and photonic systems.
Eleven Companies Making the Cut
The 11 firms moving forward, according to Hoskinson, are:
Atom Computing, IBM, IonQ, Nord Quantique, Photonic, Quantinuum, Quantum Motion, QA Computing, Silicon Quantum Computing, Xanadu
This diversity underscores a critical point: there is no one “canonical” quantum approach yet, and the field remains highly experimental.
Implications for Cryptocurrencies
Hoskinson didn’t shy away from the crypto implications. He warned that quantum computers, expected in the 2030s, could break mainstream cryptocurrencies via Grover’s and Shor’s algorithms. Old encrypted data could also be at risk, a problem he called the “archiving issue.”
He recommended starting with US government standards (FIPS 203–206), which outline lattice-based, hash-based, and other post-quantum cryptography tools for both encryption and signatures.
Cardano’s Quantum-Proof Plans with Midnight
On the Cardano front, Hoskinson highlighted Midnight, Cardano’s privacy and zero-knowledge layer. He revealed a major pivot to a post-quantum lattice-based standard called Nightstream, co-developed with companies under the Linux Foundation.
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Next year: Midnight will initially run PlonK and Halo 2.
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Long-term: Midnight’s design will allow a drop-in replacement with lattice-based cryptography, making it immune to quantum threats well ahead of 2033.
He argued that lattice techniques are not just secure—they’re also efficient, leveraging existing AI hardware (GPUs) for linear-scale proof computation and verification.
A Post-Quantum Roadmap Beyond Cardano
Midnight aims to be more than a Cardano upgrade: it’s a universal recursion and folding engine. Hoskinson explained it could produce lightweight state proofs for other blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The idea is to create post-quantum checkpoints, enabling rollback mechanisms if quantum computers attempt to alter states.
Other areas on the post-quantum checklist include:
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Post-quantum VRFs and VDFs
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Post-quantum random number generation
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Securing historical blockchain state
His bottom line: adapt or get cracked.
Market Update
At press time, Cardano (ADA) traded at $0.5869, finding support at its 200-week EMA, reflecting both market stability and anticipation of technological upgrades.