Rigetti Computing Stock Rockets 9.3% This Week—Here’s Why

Quantum computing just got a market adrenaline shot.

Rigetti Computing’s stock surged 9.3% this week—outpacing even crypto’s wildest meme coins. Was it breakthrough tech? A stealth partnership? Or just traders chasing the next shiny object in the tech casino?

Wall Street’s quantum fever dreams are back. Again.

A "rescued" particle could boost quantum

Researchers at the University of Southern California said that they had identified a new type of particle they call "neglectons," which could help solve one of quantum computing's biggest issues. The particles earned their name from their once-overlooked status; researchers had previously dismissed them as "mathematical garbage."

Quantum computing faces a number of hurdles in its ongoing development. Chief among them is the inherent difficulty in error correction. These systems are fragile and hard to keep from degrading. The new particles could help scientists solve this issue through an approach called "braiding."

Image source: Getty Images.

Investors should remain cautious

While the news is positive, it by no means indicates the issue is solved -- or is close to being solved. This is a highly experimental field at the very edge of human knowledge and theory, let alone practical engineering.

I think many investors are getting ahead of themselves, and it could be many years, if not decades, before we see viable quantum computing at scale.

Rigetti is one of the more promising quantum companies, but at its current valuation, I WOULD not invest.