Italy today took a major step into the quantum age — and blockchain builders are paying attention.
At the Digital Innovation Forum 2026 on October 16, Italy inaugurated Volta B1, its first quantum supercomputer and industrial quantum annealer. Developed under the technical and scientific supervision of Q‑Alliance, Volta B1 is pitched as one of the most advanced quantum infrastructures in Europe, and its launch underscores accelerating investments in high‑end computing across the continent.
That shift matters for crypto. Modern blockchains rely on public‑key cryptography (e.g., ECC, RSA) that could eventually be weakened by large‑scale quantum computers. The prospect of that future has renewed focus on “post‑quantum” defenses — and on today’s event, DAC, a Layer‑1 blockchain developer, publicly highlighted the urgency.
Davide Costa, Head of Innovation at DAC, joined a Forum panel titled “Frontier Technologies: Quantum Computing, HPC for Quantum Computing, Supercomputers and Blockchain,” where he discussed how emerging computing infrastructures intersect with ledger security and developer needs. “The inauguration of Italy’s first Quantum Supercomputer and industrial quantum annealer marks a major milestone in quantum technology,” Costa said. “While these advances unlock new possibilities, they also reinforce the need to prepare for future threats to the cryptographic systems securing blockchain networks. At DAC, we’re addressing this challenge by embedding quantum resistance into blockchain infrastructure from the outset.”
What DAC is building
- DAC Labs is developing an EVM‑compatible, quantum‑resistant Layer‑1 blockchain.
- The protocol incorporates Proof of Quantum Work (PoQW) and what DAC describes as quantum entropy to deliver long‑term cryptographic resilience and predictable transaction fees.
- The chain aims to support smart contracts, decentralized applications and digital asset transactions with enterprise stability in mind.
DAC’s presence at the Forum — and meetings with academics, research institutions and industry leaders — signals growing collaboration between the quantum and distributed‑ledger communities as Europe scales up its quantum capabilities.
Why it matters
- Volta B1 highlights both the opportunity and the timeline pressure: quantum computing progress promises new science and industrial uses, but also creates a need to harden cryptographic infrastructure before large‑scale quantum attacks become feasible.
- Projects that bake post‑quantum defenses into base layers may help enterprises and developers migrate to future‑proofed systems without rebuilding applications from scratch.
For more on DAC and its approach, see www.dachain.tech.
At the Digital Innovation Forum 2026 on October 16, Italy inaugurated Volta B1, its first quantum supercomputer and industrial quantum annealer. Developed under the technical and scientific supervision of Q‑Alliance, Volta B1 is pitched as one of the most advanced quantum infrastructures in Europe, and its launch underscores accelerating investments in high‑end computing across the continent.
That shift matters for crypto. Modern blockchains rely on public‑key cryptography (e.g., ECC, RSA) that could eventually be weakened by large‑scale quantum computers. The prospect of that future has renewed focus on “post‑quantum” defenses — and on today’s event, DAC, a Layer‑1 blockchain developer, publicly highlighted the urgency.
Davide Costa, Head of Innovation at DAC, joined a Forum panel titled “Frontier Technologies: Quantum Computing, HPC for Quantum Computing, Supercomputers and Blockchain,” where he discussed how emerging computing infrastructures intersect with ledger security and developer needs. “The inauguration of Italy’s first Quantum Supercomputer and industrial quantum annealer marks a major milestone in quantum technology,” Costa said. “While these advances unlock new possibilities, they also reinforce the need to prepare for future threats to the cryptographic systems securing blockchain networks. At DAC, we’re addressing this challenge by embedding quantum resistance into blockchain infrastructure from the outset.”
What DAC is building
- DAC Labs is developing an EVM‑compatible, quantum‑resistant Layer‑1 blockchain.
- The protocol incorporates Proof of Quantum Work (PoQW) and what DAC describes as quantum entropy to deliver long‑term cryptographic resilience and predictable transaction fees.
- The chain aims to support smart contracts, decentralized applications and digital asset transactions with enterprise stability in mind.
DAC’s presence at the Forum — and meetings with academics, research institutions and industry leaders — signals growing collaboration between the quantum and distributed‑ledger communities as Europe scales up its quantum capabilities.
Why it matters
- Volta B1 highlights both the opportunity and the timeline pressure: quantum computing progress promises new science and industrial uses, but also creates a need to harden cryptographic infrastructure before large‑scale quantum attacks become feasible.
- Projects that bake post‑quantum defenses into base layers may help enterprises and developers migrate to future‑proofed systems without rebuilding applications from scratch.
For more on DAC and its approach, see www.dachain.tech.