Welcome to VanEck Select Investor Type 19 May 2026 Quantum computers don't just compute faster. They compute differently. And for the mathematical puzzles that secure nearly all digital communication, that difference is existential. Classical computers process information in binary bits, each a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously through a property called superposition. Combined with entanglement, where qubits become correlated regardless of distance, quantum machines can explore many solution paths at once, delivering exponential speedups on specific problem classes. Two algorithms sit at the center of the quantum threat to cryptography. Shor's algorithm can factor large numbers and solve discrete logarithm problems in polynomial time, directly threatening RSA and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). Grover's algorithm provides a quadratic speedup for brute-force search, weakening symmetric encryption and hash functions, though these can generally be defended by doubling key lengths. Virtually everything that secures the modern internet, including HTTPS, TLS, SSH, VPNs, digital signatures, and software update verification, relies on ECC or RSA. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could derive private keys from public keys, forge certificates, intercept encrypted sessions and push malicious software updates signed with forged keys. Crucially, the threat isn't limited to future communications. Nation-state actors are already engaged in bulk collection of encrypted traffic, including diplomatic cables, military communications, and corporate secrets, stockpiling it for the day quantum decryption arrives. Google recently published a warning that organizations should secure the quantum era with post-quantum cryptography no later than 2029. Source: IBM Quantum Roadmap, Google AI Blog, Fujitsu/RIKEN, IonQ, Atom Computing, Quantinuum. Maximum qubit counts in flagship quantum processors, 2019–2026. IBM 2026 figure (4,158) represents three linked Kookaburra chips. The pace of progress in 2026 has been extraordinary. In March, IBM demonstrated its Kookaburra processor, a 1,386-qubit