Trump Team Might Also Be Weighing Warrants And Loans, Not Just Equity In Quantum Computing Companies: Report

• According to a report by Yahoo Finance, any potential deal could take the form of warrants or loans, not necessarily equity.
• Sources said that President Trump is looking for “a good return for the taxpayer.”
• While the White House has received several proposals from companies seeking to exchange ownership stakes for federal backing, no final decisions have been made.

The Trump administration’s interest in taking equity stakes in quantum computing companies may reportedly have been overstated.

According to a report by Yahoo Finance, citing a person familiar with the developments, rather than direct ownership, potential deals could take the form of warrants or loans, and may not involve the companies named in earlier reports. President Trump is looking for any federal investment to provide “a good return for the taxpayer,” it added.

No Final Decisions Yet

The report said any funding would likely come from leftover allocations under the administration’s overhaul of the Biden-era Chips Act. Sources stated that the White House has received several proposals from companies seeking to exchange ownership stakes for federal backing, though no final decisions have been made.

The clarification follows The Wall Street Journal report claiming that several quantum firms — including IonQ (IONQ), Rigetti Computing (RGTI), and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) — were in talks to offer the Commerce Department equity stakes in exchange for funding. Other companies, such as Quantum Computing (QUBT) and Atom Computing, were said to be considering similar arrangements. The report added that the quantum computing companies were lobbying to secure about $10 million each. 

Market Reaction And Strategic Importance

The news that the government may take equity stakes in quantum computing companies initially boosted the shares of the respective firms in Thursday morning trading, though gains later moderated following the Yahoo Finance report. 

Rigetti’s stock retreated from double-digit gains to around 5% in afternoon trading on Thursday, while D-Wave Quantum’s stock fell from double-digit gains to roughly 4%. While retail sentiment on Stocktwits around RGTI’s stock trended in ‘extremely bearish’ territory over the past day, QBTS’s shares saw retail sentiment improve from ‘neutral’ to ‘bullish’. Both stocks were among the top trending tickers on the platform at the time of writing, with ‘high’ levels of chatter.

Read also: Bitcoin On Track To Hit $110,00 After China Says Trade Talks With US Set For Friday

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