IonQ (NYSE: IONQ)’s stock just lit up the market.
Shares of the quantum computing company soared over 18% on Thursday, riding high on bold comments from CEO Niccolo de Masi, who confidently compared IonQ’s trajectory to that of Nvidia’s in the classical GPU market. In a Barron’s interview, de Masi said IonQ is “driving a quantum ecosystem” while other competitors are “copying and following” its lead. That was all investors needed to hear.
This isn’t just hype, it’s strategic positioning. De Masi’s remarks come at a time when excitement in quantum tech is heating up fast, thanks to recent developments from industry giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, all pushing deeper into the space with their own quantum chip innovations.
Following the interview, the enthusiasm rippled across the quantum sector:
- Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT) jumped about 8%
- D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) surged roughly 15%
- Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) also climbed 15%
The buzz has reignited attention around IonQ’s business model. Unlike other players, IonQ has built both hardware and software layers of quantum computing and is aggressively scaling up its cloud-based access. Its partnerships with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Braket, and Google Cloud have already made its quantum systems more widely accessible than many competitors.
Investors are paying attention because IonQ isn’t just selling quantum computers, it’s trying to define the operating system for quantum itself. Think of what Windows did for PCs, or what CUDA did for GPUs, that’s what IonQ wants to be for quantum.
The broader trend also helps. Since Google launched its Willow chip last year, investor confidence in quantum computing as a serious near-term opportunity, not just a science experiment, has grown. This is no longer a fringe tech: it’s a race with real stakes, and IonQ’s recent price action shows that Wall Street knows it.
But there are risks too. As of this writing, GuruFocus flags two warning signs for IONQ, including concerns around negative profitability and share dilution. Still, none of that has slowed investor appetite today.
Bottom line: IonQ just reminded the market why quantum computing is one of the most closely watched tech frontiers. And if de Masi’s Nvidia-style ambition pans out, this could be just the beginning of a longer rally for IONQ stock.
For now, all eyes are on whether the company can keep delivering, and whether the rest of the sector can keep up.
