The disruptive power of quantum computing continues to roll on well into the second half of 2025. A new Deloitte…
The disruptive power of quantum computing continues to roll on well into the second half of 2025. A new Deloitte report on the quantum computing industry shows a possible 35% annual growth rate through 2032. However, the trade-off of long-term gains for short-term volatility continues to be a sticking point for quantum computing investors.
Meanwhile, employment demand in the quantum industry is robust, with an estimated 250,000 jobs needed by 2030 as groundbreaking technological innovations drive industry growth.
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“This is the disruptive potential of quantum computing,” the Deloitte report states. “Quantum hardware and algorithms could drive profound business innovation. For chemical and pharmaceutical companies, this can mean groundbreaking therapeutics and industrial catalysts. For aerospace, automotive and industrial manufacturing, new physical materials could transform performance, reliability, sustainability and more.”
The hitch with quantum computing has primarily involved the sector’s technological prowess weighed against the potential for its actual commercial use. In 2025, however, companies are beginning to see the advantages of pouring resources into quantum computing, industry experts say.
“The quantum computing market is growing quite rapidly and is fast approaching a point called ‘quantum advantage,’ where commercial companies will find that a quantum solution is better than what they can achieve with classical computing,” Doug Finke, chief content officer at Global Quantum Intelligence, told U.S. News. “However, this will just be the beginning, and the market will grow significantly over the next few decades as the machines get more powerful and people find even more value in using them.”
What does this mean for quantum computing investors? Growth continues to be the calling card for the industry. But, safety first, Finke says, especially for Main Street investors unfamiliar with quantum technologies.
“Quantum computing is still a very nascent, dynamic and volatile industry,” he says. “There’s always the possibility that some dark horse may create a technical breakthrough and take a leading position.”
Although Finke says his team is “very optimistic” about the prospects of the industry in general, it’s not recommending investing in single stocks. “It will still take several years before commercial revenues and profitability grow to substantial amounts and market leadership becomes clearer, and a lot can happen in the meantime,” he says. “If you want to invest in quantum, invest in a market basket of stocks, like exchange-traded funds, to reduce your risk.”
What quantum ETFs stand out right now? Here are five funds that can light up your portfolio for the long haul:
| Quantum Computing ETF | Expense Ratio | Assets |
| Defiance Quantum ETF (ticker: QTUM) | 0.40% | $2 billion |
| VanEck Quantum Computing UCITS ETF (QNTM.L) | 0.55% | $116.1 million |
| Ark Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ) | 0.75% | $1.3 billion |
| Robo Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF (ROBO) | 0.95% | $1.1 billion |
| iShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW) | 0.39% | $22.8 billion |
Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM)
Assets: $2 billion Expense ratio: 0.4% Year-to-date return: +14.9%
This fund holds a wide array of quantum plays, with 77 stocks in all, including some stocks in the artificial intelligence and semiconductor realms. The fund is up almost 15% year to date and 51% over the past full year. Pulling big-time tech stocks like Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) provides some ballast against quantum growth plays like Rigetti Computing Inc. (RGTI) and IonQ Inc. (IONQ).
“Favor stability and upside with quantum ETFs,” advises Paul Holmes, a stock market analyst at the online securities firm BrokerListings.com. “Pure plays like IonQ or Rigetti might provide the highest upside, but come with the highest downside” in the form of short-term volatility. So, it may be better to combine them with safer bets like International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) or Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), which derive profits from many other projects and technologies.
VanEck Quantum Computing UCITS ETF (QNTM.L)
Assets: $116.1 million Expense ratio: 0.55% YTD return: +10.9%
Following that logic, this new VanEck quantum computing fund, launched in May 2025 on the London Stock Exchange, balances out growth plays like IonQ and D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) with larger, more established technology names linked to the quantum sector, such as Microsoft and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN). Though this fund is domiciled in Ireland and listed on European stock exchanges, it can be purchased by U.S. investors through brokers that give access to European ETFs.
Like QTUM, QNTM.L offers diversified exposure and limits the risk of single-company failure. QNTM.L’s expense ratio is slightly higher than QTUM’s 0.4% fee, at 0.55%.
“I’d think about keeping allocations small with quantum funds,” Holmes says. “Quantum stocks are speculative and generally not safe enough to make large allocations to retirement portfolios or for financial goals that require more reliability. For aggressive investors, 5% to 10% of a portfolio can be reasonable.”
New quantum investors should also think long term, which makes sector ETFs like QNTM.L a good idea. “Quantum returns depend on breakthroughs that could take a decade or more,” Holmes says. “It’s far from a mature technology, so valuations are still heavily about narratives and speculation.”
Ark Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF (ARKQ)
Assets: $1.3 billion Expense ratio: 0.75% YTD return: +24.5%
This quantum computing ETF comes from Ark Invest, run by tech stock picker Cathie Wood, who’s known for her brash stances on sector stocks with the potential for a long-term glide path. The fund specializes in tech plays that stand to benefit from quantum computing, like Microsoft, Amazon, Palantir and Tesla Inc. (TSLA), all of which are in the fund’s top 10 listings. The ETF’s stock picks are limited to 35 companies, and even novice investors will likely recognize many brand names in its lineup. The fund has returned a healthy 24.5% so far in 2025, well ahead of the 9% rise of the S&P 500 as of Aug. 19.
Robo Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF (ROBO)
Assets: $1.1 billion Expense ratio: 0.95% YTD return: +12.3%
Once again, this ETF selection is a broad-based technology play that favors burgeoning sectors like robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, all of which are increasingly intersecting with quantum computing.
The fund has returned 12.3% year to date and is well diversified among 70-plus tech stock positions, none of them making up more than 2.3% of the fund. Its top holding as of Aug. 19 is Symbotic Inc. (SYM), a hot industrial automation tech stock that’s up 97% year to date.
ROBO is diversified geographically, too, with approximately 42% of the fund holdings based in the U.S., 20% in Japan and 12% in the eurozone.
iShares U.S. Technology ETF (IYW)
Assets: $22.8 billion Expense ratio: 0.39% YTD return: +13.3%
This large iShares technology ETF focuses on companies that excel at the building-block side of the technology market, including quantum computing. That means holding positions in quantum tech development industries such as electronics, software, hardware and chip production.
The fund is large-cap weighted, so you’re not exactly getting in on the ground floor of many of the fund’s stocks, but that can be a big benefit, too, as large-cap tech stocks often come with robust market positions. Plus, with brand-name Magnificent Seven stocks in demand right now, quantum-linked companies like Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) that are making big strides in the AI market could open another thematic ETF profit channel for investors.
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5 Best Quantum Computing ETFs to Buy in 2025 originally appeared on usnews.com