Hong Kong is eyeing DeFi and metaverse technologies as potential avenues for fintech expansion, according to recent government-backed studies. Meanwhile, AssangeDAO, a decentralized organization, spent $37 million to secure the freedom of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In other news, crypto losses from hacks and scams in DeFi surged over 100% in Q2 2024, reaching a staggering $572 million. A MakerDAO governance delegate also fell victim to a phishing scam, losing $11 million worth of tokens. Lastly, the total value locked in DeFi protocols dipped below $100 billion, indicating a mixed week for DeFi's top 100 tokens.