Quantum computing is no longer a distant hypothesis, but has begun to emerge as one of the major technological disruptions of the next decade.
According to a report from the IBM Institute for Business Value: Most companies aren’t ready yet To face that change.
The study, based on a survey of more than 2,000 executives from 33 countries and 23 industries, found: There is a huge gap between the recognition of quantum effects and concrete actions..
Nine percent of those interviewed were from Latin America.
IBM document data on quantum
According to an IBM report published in January 2026, 59% of executives believe that artificial intelligence (AI) enabled by quantum computing will transform their industry by 2030.
Nevertheless, Only 27% expect to use quantum computing Somehow in the same year. This distance between expectations and readiness is one of the central warning signs of the report, which explains that “quantum readiness” is still an early and uneven process.
The IBM team also warns that few organizations are building the capabilities needed to take advantage of the potential of hybrid approaches between quantum computing, classical computing, and AI.
Only 32% of companies claim to develop Partnering within the quantum ecosystemThis is an element that IBM recognizes as key to gaining future competitive advantage.
Furthermore, only 34% of executives say they are. Proactively prepare your organization For “quantum secure” security scenarios.
This last point requires special attention. The report states:Quantum computing challenges current cryptographic systemsbased on a mathematical problem that could be trivial for advanced quantum computers.
In the face of this risk, IBM is emphasizing the urgency of investing in post-quantum cryptography, or new encryption schemes designed to counter quantum attacks.
The warning is clear. Malicious attackers are already collecting encrypted data today Under the logic of “save now, decrypt later”. This was also recently warned by CriptoNoticias.
In line with the IBM document, a recent announcement by experts from the G7 group called on financial companies and banks to introduce quantum safeguards by 2030.
IBM CEO talks about quantum at World Economic Forum
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna argued at the World Economic Forum on January 21 this year that current cryptography that is resistant to quantum computing is based on mathematical structures known for 30 years, such as lattice-based cryptography.
He explained that while these schemes are effective and well understood, organizations still need to be prepared for scenarios such as: Quantum computing will reach full scale between 2030 and 2035.
Krishna emphasized that while there is no immediate risk at this time, it would be unwise to delay the adoption of post-quantum defenses by 10 years.
In that sense, he warned that encrypted information that can be obtained today could be vulnerable in the future if the currently used encryption systems are broken by quantum computers.
Bitcoin faces quantum challenges
This scenario does not only challenge the corporate world.
As reported by CriptoNoticias: Bitcoin also does not have a definitive solution today against the possibility of quantum attacks.
The network relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECDSA) to protect transaction signatures and hash functions (SHA-256) to protect mining. Although this last system is considered secure compared to traditional computing, This is not the case with the encryption that protects digital signatures.
There are already proposals in the ecosystem to mitigate this risk, but none have been adopted by consensus.
This includes moving to post-quantum signature schemes, using addresses that reduce public key exposure, and making gradual changes to protocols that allow for an orderly transition without compromising the network.
In parallel, other networks such as Ethereum, They also consider strategies for anticipating this scenario.a kind of “quantum competition” occurs between projects.
IBM’s report argues that now is the time to act, not when the technology is fully mature.
As reported by CriptoNoticias, in the case of Bitcoin, the challenges are even more delicate than for corporations or centralized institutions. Big changes require social, technological and economic consensus.
Quantum computing has not yet arrived, but its shadow is already posing strategic questions. Ignoring them can be much more costly than starting to prepare.
