Letter to My Past Self: Confessions of a Reformed Quantum Skeptic

A Mock Letter

Monday, June 30, 2025

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Dear Six-Months-Ago Me,

Stop rolling your eyes. Yes, I'm writing to you from the future where quantum computing stocks actually matter, and no, I haven't lost my mind to Silicon Valley hype cycles. Though I understand your skepticism—remember how we laughed at IonQ's $38 price target back in December? Well, guess what's sitting pretty at $32.15 today after moving into positive territory for 2025 following a 7% gain.

Here's what you need to know: Rigetti jumped about 11% while IonQ added 10% on Monday after being named for the Department of Defense program. Yes, actual government contracts. The kind that come with real money and real deadlines, not venture capital fever dreams.

You're going to want to pay attention when IonQ's CEO says his company could become the "Nvidia of quantum computing" in late May. I know, I know—every tech CEO claims they're the next Nvidia. But here's the difference: IonQ has achieved 99.9% fidelity while Rigetti Computing is at 99.5%. Those decimal points matter more than you think in quantum land.

The numbers that will shock you: Rigetti shares soared 1,090% as investor sentiment shifted in favor of full-stack quantum plays. Yes, you read that correctly. Four digits. Not a typo. While you were busy dismissing quantum as academic fantasy, actual money was being made.

But let's talk about what you're really missing—the infrastructure plays that are quietly building the foundation for this revolution. While everyone's obsessing over quantum supremacy demonstrations, smart money is positioning in the platforms that will monetize this transition.

Cointiply becomes relevant here in ways you won't expect. As quantum computing threatens current cryptographic standards, alternative income streams through crypto-based platforms gain strategic importance. The platform's diversified reward structure mirrors the kind of risk management thinking that quantum-aware investors are adopting.

The gaming angle surprises everyone. Womplay emerges as an unexpected beneficiary as quantum algorithms begin influencing game development and player engagement models. The platform's focus on skill-based earning reflects the broader shift toward measurable performance metrics that quantum systems excel at optimizing.

Freecash sees user growth spike as people realize they need diversified income sources while traditional investment categories undergo quantum-driven disruption. The psychology is fascinating—as AI and quantum computing threaten conventional job security, platforms offering multiple revenue streams become essential hedges.

The passive income revolution accelerates faster than anyone predicted. Honeygain benefits from increased data processing demands as quantum research requires massive computational resources. Users unknowingly contribute to this infrastructure while earning passive income—a perfect symbiosis of individual benefit and collective progress.

Content creation pivots toward technical education. Publish0x sees creators monetize quantum computing explainers and investment analysis. The platform's crypto-native rewards align perfectly with an audience that understands both emerging technologies and alternative value systems.

Even the survey economy evolves. Attapoll adapts to capture sentiment data about quantum adoption and investment preferences. Market research companies pay premium rates for insights about emerging tech adoption patterns, making user opinions about quantum computing surprisingly valuable.

Minds becomes a hub for quantum computing discussions as traditional social media algorithms struggle to surface technical content. The platform's decentralized approach attracts researchers, investors, and enthusiasts building the quantum community.

Here's what you need to understand about the market dynamics: The three major stock indexes rallied 3.8%, 3.4% and 4.2% as hope for major trade deals and expectations of further interest rate cuts bolstered investor sentiment. Quantum stocks are riding this broader optimism, but they're also creating their own momentum.

Bets the Federal Reserve will resume rate cuts powered the best first-half stretch for Treasuries in five years. Lower rates make speculative growth stocks more attractive, and quantum computing sits at the apex of speculative growth. The monetary environment is creating perfect conditions for exactly the kind of long-term, capital-intensive investments that quantum companies require.

The institutional validation accelerates everything. When the Department of Defense starts handing out contracts, venture capital stops looking like gambling and starts looking like due diligence. D-Wave's Leap cloud platform serves 25 Forbes Global 2000 clients, proving commercial viability beyond the hype.

But here's what really changes the game: IonQ stock has a consensus price target of $38.33 based on ratings from 7 analysts, representing nearly 20% upside. Wall Street analysts are putting their reputations behind these projections. We've moved past the "interesting technology" phase into the "investable opportunity" phase.

You're going to be tempted to dismiss this as another bubble. Don't. The difference between quantum computing and previous tech hype cycles is the participation of traditional players. When Hewlett Packard Enterprise gets named for Department of Defense programs alongside pure-play quantum companies, you know this isn't just venture capital speculation anymore.

The trading platform infrastructure matters more than you realize. Binance becomes essential as quantum-resistant cryptocurrencies gain prominence. The exchange's technical sophistication positions it to handle the transition to post-quantum cryptography before most competitors even understand the threat.

Pay attention to the second-order effects. As quantum computing advances, current AI models face obsolescence threats. But the gaming industry adapts fastest. Tap Monsters Bot represents the kind of simple, engaging format that thrives while more complex systems struggle with quantum-disrupted environments.

The most important lesson: infrastructure beats performance in emerging markets. Companies building quantum cloud platforms, quantum-safe security, and quantum-ready applications will outperform those chasing incremental improvements in qubit counts.

The S&P 500 rose nearly 5% in June while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped more than 6%. Quantum stocks are surfing this wave while building their own momentum. The timing couldn't be better—a rising market lifts speculative boats, and quantum computing has become the most credible speculation in technology.

Stop overthinking the technical details. Start thinking about the economic infrastructure. The companies making money in quantum won't necessarily be the ones with the best qubits—they'll be the ones with the best business models.

Trust me on this one. And maybe buy some IonQ while it's still in the $30s.

Your Vindicated Future Self

P.S. - Coinbase is the top performer in the S&P 500 for June after the Senate's passage of the GENIUS Act. The crypto infrastructure story is far from over, but quantum is writing the next chapter.

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Views expressed represent the opinion of one timeline and may not reflect the experience of parallel universes where quantum supremacy arrived earlier or later than expected.