Kinetiq Staked HYPE news today centers on the launch of KIP-2, an upgrade that introduces validator selection for kHYPE stakers and marks the most significant protocol change since the liquid-staking token’s inception. Kinetiq announced the rollout on September 19, 2026, saying users can now select the validator associated with their staked HYPE rather than relying solely on the protocol’s previous validator-allocation process.