Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol: the new default for how AI buys things 🤖🛍️

FinTech is Eating the World, 13 January

Hey Everyone,

Good morning & happy Tuesday! Today’s issue is undoubtedly the most important one this year so far, as we’re diving deep into Google, which basically just dropped a new default for how buying works (2,000+ words dive into Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), why it’s huge, how it changes everything and how each player needs to adapt to the new AI-first economy + bonus list of top 10 AI startups to watch in 2026 & AI leader playbook inside). So let’s jump straight into the paradigm-defining stuff 🌶️

Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol: the new default for how AI buys things 🤖🛍️

The BIG News 🗞️ At the National Retail Federation conference, AI giant Google GOOGL 0.00%↑ has just unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) - an open-source standard co-developed with Shopify, Target, Walmart, Etsy, and Wayfair.

Over 20 partners, including payments giants Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, and American Express, have endorsed it. The protocol enables AI agents to autonomously handle the entire shopping journey: discovery, comparison, checkout, payments, returns, and loyalty rewards.

Put simply, it’s Google’s attempt to become the HTTP of commerce, or the invisible infrastructure layer through which all AI-mediated transactions flow.

Let’s dive deep into this, uncover all the key details, understand why it all matters, why it’s huge, and what’s next. For Google, FinTechs, and everyone operating in the AI-first economy.