The CRQC Reality Check: The Count Is Zero. The Clock Is Not.
As of August 2026, the number of cryptographically relevant quantum computers on Earth is zero. The largest number honestly factored by Shor's algorithm on real hardware is 21. And yet NIST deprecates RSA and ECC in 2030, NSA mandates post-quantum signing by January 2027, and the resource estimate for breaking RSA-2048 has collapsed 20x from math alone. Here's the honest state of the field, and why the deadline that matters isn't Q-Day.

