Largest and longest-tenured pure-play quantum ETF holds direct exposure to IBM, D-Wave, Rigetti, and other companies named in the federal funding initiative

Defiance Quantum Computing ETF (QTUM) Surpasses $5 Billion in Assets as Trump Administration Unveils Historic $2 Billion Quantum Investment Push

Defiance ETFs today announced that the Defiance Quantum Computing ETF (NYSE Arca: QTUM), the first and largest U.S.‑listed ETF dedicated to quantum computing, has surpassed $5 billion in assets under management. The milestone arrives the same day the Trump administration unveiled an approximately $2 billion federal funding initiative for U.S. quantum computing companies — the most significant federal commitment to the quantum industry to date and a defining inflection point for the sector.

MIAMI, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Defiance ETFs today announced that the Defiance Quantum Computing ETF (NYSE Arca: QTUM), the first and largest U.S.‑listed ETF dedicated to quantum computing, has surpassed $5 billion in assets under management. The milestone arrives the same day the Trump administration unveiled an approximately $2 billion federal funding initiative for U.S. quantum computing companies — the most significant federal commitment to the quantum industry to date and a defining inflection point for the sector.

According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the package includes a $1 billion award to IBM — anchoring a new U.S.‑based quantum chip foundry, Anderon — alongside $375 million for GlobalFoundries and approximately $100 million each for D‑Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, Infleqtion, and additional recipients. In exchange, the federal government will take minority equity stakes in each company, extending the industrial‑policy framework first applied to Intel in 2025.

QTUM holds direct, index‑rules‑based exposure to several of the companies named in the initiative — including IBM, D‑Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, IonQ, and Honeywell — as part of a diversified portfolio of approximately 86 global quantum computing and machine‑learning constituents. Holdings are subject to change. For a complete list of QTUM’s holdings, visit www.defianceetfs.com/qtum-full-holdings

“Today is a watershed moment for the U.S. quantum industry. When we launched QTUM in 2018, the quantum thesis was viewed as a decade‑out science project. With today’s announcement, the federal government has moved from research patron to strategic capital allocator — taking direct equity in the companies it believes will define the next computing paradigm. Crossing $5 billion in AUM alongside this kind of policy validation reflects how seriously investors and policymakers now take the quantum opportunity.”

— Sylvia Jablonski, CEO and CIO, Defiance ETFs

About QTUM

The Defiance Quantum Computing ETF (QTUM) launched in September 2018 as the first U.S.‑listed ETF providing pure‑play exposure to companies developing quantum computing, quantum hardware, and applied machine learning. The fund seeks to track the BlueStar Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index, a modified equal‑weight benchmark of global companies materially engaged in the development and commercialization of quantum technologies.

QTUM carries an expense ratio of 0.40% and has earned a 5‑Star Overall Morningstar Rating™ within the US Fund Technology category, rated among 221 funds (three‑year) and 199 funds (five‑year) as of March 31, 2026.

Fund Inception	September 4, 2018
Expense Ratio	0.40%
Primary Exchange	NASDAQ
Index	BlueStar Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index (BQTUM)
Number of Holdings	86
Morningstar Rating™	5 Stars Overall (as of 3/31/2026)

Standardized Performance (as of April 30, 2026)

Cumulative Total Return

Cumulative (NAV)	YTD	1 Month	3 Months	6 Months	Since Inception
Total Return NAV (%)	22.07%	25.24%	15.27%	16.84%	469.57%
Market Price (%)	22.48%	24.91%	15.89%	17.16%	472.02%

Average Annual Total Return

Average Annual Total Return	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	Since Inception
Total Return NAV (%)	79.88%	46.59%	23.91%	25.53%
Market Price (%)	80.81%	46.64%	23.97%	25.60%

Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results; current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Short‑term performance, in particular, is not a good indication of the fund’s future performance, and an investment should not be made based solely on returns. Market price is the price at which shares in the ETF can be bought or sold on the exchanges during trading hours, while NAV represents the value of each share’s portion of the fund’s underlying assets and cash at the end of the trading day. To obtain performance data current to the most recent month‑end, please visit defianceetfs.com/qtum or call 833.333.9383.

About Defiance ETFs

Founded in 2018, Defiance ETFs is a leading issuer of thematic, leveraged, and income‑focused exchange‑traded funds, with a product suite including QTUM, AIPO, JEDI, UFOX, ONDL, and others. For more information, visit www.defianceetfs.com.

Media Contact:
Sylvia Jablonski
info@defianceetfs.com
833.333.9383

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

The fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company and may be obtained at defianceetfs.com or by calling 833.333.9383. Please read carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. As an ETF, the fund may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the fund. The fund is not actively managed and would not sell a security due to current or projected under‑performance unless that security is removed from the index or is required upon reconstitution of the index. A portfolio concentrated in a single industry or country may be subject to a higher degree of risk. The value of stocks of information technology companies is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition. The fund is considered non‑diversified, so it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks including risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability; this risk is magnified in emerging markets. Small‑ and mid‑cap companies are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than securities of large‑cap companies. The possible applications of quantum computing are only in the exploration stages, and the possibility of returns is uncertain and may not be realized in the near future.

Morningstar Disclosure: The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or “star rating,” is calculated for managed products with at least a three-year history. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product’s monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. ©2026 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The “BlueStar Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index™”, “BQTUM™ Index” (collectively “Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index”), is the exclusive property and a trademark of BlueStar Global Investors LLC d/b/a BlueStar Indexes® and has been licensed for use for certain purposes by Defiance ETFs LLC. Products based on the Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by BlueStar Global Investors, LLC or BlueStar Indexes®, and BlueStar Global Investors, LLC and BlueStar Indexes® makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product(s). It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

QTUM is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Defiance ETFs is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Trump administration, IBM, or any of the companies named in the federal quantum funding initiative.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/633a71ac-b126-41b1-abaa-56680af4e6c8