Google's major move at the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference in the United States is worth noting. This time, it partnered with retail giants like Shopify, Walmart, and Target to officially launch the UCP (Universal Commercial Protocol).

Many people may not be very familiar with what UCP actually is. In simple terms, if the HTTP protocol allows computers worldwide to display web pages to each other, then the goal of UCP is to enable different business systems and applications to collaborate seamlessly. It addresses the data silos problem—interoperability between different platforms.

Compared to existing protocols like X402, UCP has clear advantages. First is the scale of participants—collaboration between tech giants like Google and retail empires like Walmart means stronger execution power and broader application scenarios. Second is the difference in design philosophy; UCP emphasizes cross-ecosystem fluidity and compatibility.

Of course, there are areas to watch. Standardization progress takes time, and the enthusiasm of ecosystem participants will depend on subsequent feedback. But from the long-term trend of interoperability, the evolution of such protocols is inevitable.