2 Magnificent Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy and Hold for 10 Years

Quantum computing stocks are still early, but the companies building the hardware and software for it are already drawing long‑term partners, research awards, and serious capital. Two names stand out as 10‑year holds for investors who want exposure to that shift: IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM).

In very simple terms, quantum computers use quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement to process information using qubits rather than traditional bits. While today's machines are still limited and error-prone, more powerful quantum computers could eventually help with problems like drug discovery, materials science, optimization, and cybersecurity, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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1. IonQ

IonQ is trying to become the merchant supplier for quantum hardware and services, not just a single cloud machine you rent by the hour. In September, the company launched its Superion product line, led by the Superion 256 platform, a sixth‑generation trapped‑ion system manufactured in partnership with newly acquired foundry SkyWater. Superion 256 is designed as the base architecture for future IonQ systems and is already available for order. Forget all the quantum jargon: This means that IonQ is now selling a road map and legit hardware, not just research access.

IonQ is also working on how quantum machines talk to each other. In April, the company announced it had successfully linked two independent trapped‑ion quantum systems via photonic interconnects, creating one of the first networked commercial quantum setups using entanglement.

That kind of engineering, connecting separate quantum processors while preserving coherence, is a key step if you believe future quantum computers will need to scale beyond a single box to tackle more complex workloads. If quantum computing continues to gain traction, this scale makes IonQ an easy hold.

2. IBM

International Business Machines (IBM) is taking a slightly different route: It wants to weave quantum into supercomputing, industry research, and national‑scale infrastructure.

In June, IBM committed more than $10 billion to quantum computing over the next five years, funding everything from research and chip manufacturing to ecosystem partnerships and acquisitions. The company's road map points toward IBM Quantum Starling, a large‑scale, fault‑tolerant system it aims to deliver in 2029 that is designed to execute roughly 20,000 times more operations than today's machines.

IBM is already doing the plumbing work that kind of machine needs. Company management has described joining and cooling two modular cryogenic systems to create a shared environment that can host hundreds of quantum chips at temperatures far below deep space.

Earlier this year, IBM outlined a "quantum‑centric supercomputing" architecture that shows how quantum processors can sit alongside other computing engines in research centers and the cloud, which is the kind of blueprint you need if you expect industries like materials science, healthcare, and logistics to use quantum in practice.

From a stock perspective, IBM is a juggernaut. The company has been around for decades and has continued to grow and adapt through a range of technological changes and economic fads. When I see IBM jumping on quantum early, I think it makes it a solid long-term bet.

Why a decade of quantum growth matters for these stocks

Over the next 10 years, quantum workloads are likely to grow from narrow experiments into tools for optimization, simulation, and artificial intelligence (AI) fine‑tuning across fields like drug discovery, chip design, finance, and logistics, even if the exact use cases shift along the way, according to IBM's management.

If that happens, companies that provide the underlying platforms, like IonQ as a full‑stack quantum foundry and IBM as a quantum‑centric infrastructure leader, are positioned to benefit from more machines sold, more time rented, and more long‑term contracts tied to solving problems that classical systems struggle with. If you want to jump on the quantum train, these two stocks are a great place to start.

Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends International Business Machines and IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.