U.S. Treasury Announces the Quantum-Readiness Task Force

Insider Brief

• The U.S. Treasury launched a Quantum-Readiness Task Force to coordinate the financial sector’s transition to post-quantum cryptography and prepare for future quantum-related cybersecurity risks.

• The public-private initiative will focus on sector-wide PQC transition, third-party and vendor readiness, and risks involving digital assets and emerging technologies.

• The task force will bring together government, financial institutions, market infrastructure operators and technology providers to address critical dependencies, cryptographic agility, interoperability and operational resilience.

PRESS RELEASE — The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the launch of the Quantum-Readiness Task Force, following President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14412 establishing guidelines to strengthen cryptographic protections for America’s sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and digital economy. The Task Force supports the Administration’s efforts to secure American innovation; strengthen supply chains; and ensure U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies.

“America must lead in securing the technologies that power our economy,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent . “This Task Force will help ensure our financial system remains strong, secure, and competitive as new technologies reshape the global landscape.”

The Quantum-Readiness Task Force is a public-private initiative to help accelerate the U.S. financial sector’s transition to quantum-safe technology in an orderly and operationally resilient manner, building on the G7 Cyber Expert Group roadmap for the transition to post-quantum cryptography . It advances President Trump’s cyber agenda by supporting the adoption of post-quantum cryptography and strengthening protections for critical financial infrastructure.

The Task Force will operate through three workstreams: Sector Alignment & PQC Transition; Third-Party & Vendor Readiness; and Digital Assets and Emerging Technology Risk.

Quantum computing has the potential to transform science and technology, but it also poses a long-term cybersecurity challenge because future quantum systems could break many of the cryptographic tools that protect financial data, payment systems, digital identities, and market infrastructure. Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography is essential to protecting U.S. economic security and strengthening the resilience of the financial system.

The Task Force will bring together government, financial institutions, financial market infrastructures, technology providers, and other private-sector leaders to support coordinated preparation for quantum-related cyber risks. It will focus on practical, risk-based approaches to quantum readiness, including identifying critical dependencies, improving cryptographic agility, promoting interoperability, strengthening operational resilience, and addressing implementation challenges related to third-party dependencies and digital assets.

“Quantum computing holds significant promise, but it also presents a serious long-term challenge to the cryptographic tools that underpin the U.S. financial system,” said Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Luke Pettit . “The Financial Sector Quantum Readiness Task Force will help ensure that the transition to quantum-safe technology is coordinated, risk-based, and operationally resilient. By bringing together government and industry to lead the transition to quantum-safe finance, the U.S. will strengthen trust in its financial system and reinforce its economic and national security.”

“Post-quantum cryptography readiness is no longer a future-proofing exercise—it is a present-day risk control,” said Deborah Guild, chair of the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council and head of Technology at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. “The transition requires organizations to prioritize critical systems and processes, manage dependencies across the financial ecosystem, and address implementation challenges. This task force sets the conditions for industry and government to align priorities and accelerate the transition to post-quantum cryptography.”