Where Will Rigetti Computing Be in 3 Years?
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By Keithen Drury – Feb 7, 2026 at 8:01AM ESTKey PointsThe quantum computing field is full of potent competitors.Rigetti Computing is struggling to develop an accurate quantum computing system. These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NASDAQ: RGTIRigetti ComputingMarket Cap$5.8BToday's Changeangle-down(17.96%) $2.69Current Price$17.66Price as of February 6, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETRigetti Computing investors have received some bad news in the past few weeks.Rigetti Computing (RGTI +17.96%) is a popular pure-play stock pick in the investment world. Its prominence has risen throughout the past year or so, but the stock is down around 70% off of its all-time high. The market is either turning on this once-popular investment, or it's a generational buying opportunity due to its presence in the quantum computing world. Where will Rigetti stock be three years from now? Let's find out. Image source: Getty Images. Rigetti Computing is competing against some stiff competition Quantum computing isn't a niche technology sector. There are dozens of companies vying to become the go-to option in this field, and Rigetti is one of them. There are essentially two types of companies competing in this sector. The first are pure plays like Rigetti Computing that are starting from scratch and have to rely on contracts and outside investors to fund operations. The second are legacy tech companies that have massive cash flows available to fund quantum computing research. In a normal setting, all the money would be on the legacy tech players, as their resources should allow them to develop quantum computing technology rapidly. However, these tech companies are also heavily spending on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, so their resources are thinner than they would normally be. This could open the door to a pure play like Rigetti Computing, but only if it can develop a viable computing solution. And it's not doing well at that. Understanding quantum computing isn't easy. However, many of the quantum computing companies offer a benchmark test that allows investors to compare one offering to another. It's known as the two-qubit gate fidelity test, and it essentially sees how accurate a quantum calculation is after passing through two processing operations. The higher the number, the better the result. Recently, Rigetti announced that its 108-qubit system is taking longer to achieve 99.5% two-qubit gate fidelity than anticipated. While its less-powerful nine-qubit system delivers 99.7% two-qubit gate fidelity, it needs to deliver better results in its larger systems to be relevant. ExpandNASDAQ: RGTIRigetti ComputingToday's Change(17.96%) $2.69Current Price$17.66Key Data PointsMarket Cap$5.8BDay's Range$15.34 - $17.7352wk Range$6.86 - $58.15Volume1.4MAvg Vol37MGross Margin-6849.48% It's also significantly behind another pure-play competitor, IonQ (IONQ +15.18%). IonQ achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity for its system back in October. IonQ is building a 256-qubit system on this technology that will be released in 2026, so it's clear that it is miles ahead of Rigetti in the accuracy and qubit quantity race. If Rigetti continues to see delays, I won't be surprised to see the stock down even further in three years, or potentially not trading at all, either from bankruptcy or through an acquisition. This would be bad news for investors, but it's the reality if it doesn't pick up the pace. Rigetti needs to show me some better results before warranting an investment, and I think the market selling off Rigetti's stock isn't an irrational reaction; it's the right move until Rigetti can start to show some improved results.Read NextFeb 6, 2026 •By Anders BylundWhere Will Rigetti Computing Go Next?Feb 6, 2026 •By Johnny RiceWhy Did Rigetti Computing Stock Soar 18.3% Today?Feb 6, 2026 •By Johnny RiceShould You Buy Rigetti Computing Stock Right Now?Feb 3, 2026 •By Johnny RiceWhy Rigetti Stock Fell 18% in January To Start 2026Jan 30, 2026 •By Johnny RiceIf You'd Invested $5,000 in Rigetti Computing Stock (RGTI) 1 Year Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have TodayJan 29, 2026 •By Leo SunBetter Quantum Stock: Rigetti Computing vs. Quantum ComputingAbout the AuthorKeithen Drury is a contributing Motley Fool technology analyst covering AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and SaaS stocks. In addition to The Motley Fool, Keithen is a mechanical engineer and has held roles at Honeywell and smaller industrial companies like Brand Hydraulics and Lincoln Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dordt University.TMFTripleOptionStocks MentionedRigetti ComputingNASDAQ: RGTI$17.66 (+17.96%) $+2.69IonQNYSE: IONQ$35.05 (+15.18%) $+4.62*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.