D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) reached a new 52-week high of $11.95 on March 17, fueled by recent innovations in quantum computing. One standout breakthrough was in the blockchain industry, which has already generated significant investor excitement and driven the stock higher.
These breakthroughs are a key reason D-Wave has outperformed in recent weeks. While most quantum computing stocks have seen corrections in 2025, QBTS was the only major player to hit new highs in March. Still, investors should be aware that the stock remains down 2% in 2025.
D-Wave announced a significant milestone in blockchain technology—an architecture powered by quantum computing. This marked the first-ever deployment of distributed quantum computing across four cloud-based annealing quantum computers in North America. The system utilizes a “proof of quantum” algorithm to generate and validate blockchain hashes using quantum computations.
This came shortly after another major achievement: D-Wave’s Advantage2 prototype demonstrated quantum supremacy by solving magnetic material problems orders of magnitude faster than traditional supercomputers.
At its core, the new blockchain innovation is a consensus mechanism. It proposes an alternative to the traditional proof-of-work (PoW) method used in Bitcoin (BTCUSD) mining. The “proof of quantum work” approach aims to reduce energy consumption and increase security by leveraging the unpredictability of quantum hashing.
However, this breakthrough is unlikely to become commercially viable anytime soon. For it to work, quantum computing would need to be both scalable and accessible to the masses. The current mining infrastructure relies on millions of traditional machines—completely incompatible with D-Wave’s quantum system. Integrating this method would require complete blockchain redesigns, which are cost-prohibitive.
It’s also worth noting that D-Wave’s PoQW was introduced within a research paper rather than a commercial product. The company hasn’t indicated plans to monetize the innovation yet.
In Q4 2024, D-Wave reported a net loss of $86.1 million. The company holds $177.98 million in cash, much of which was raised through share dilution during the recent stock spike. Outstanding shares rose from 161.1 million in 2023 to 266.6 million in 2024.
This cash won’t last long if commercial quantum computing remains elusive. Further shareholder dilution is likely as the company raises more capital.
Unless you're looking to make a speculative short-term bet on the quantum hype, it might be wise to take profits now.
Analysts currently have a mean price target of $9.25, suggesting a potential upside of around 11.8%. Despite a consensus “Strong Buy” rating—reflecting long-term optimism for quantum computing—investors should understand that QBTS remains a high-risk investment at this stage.
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