MoonPay, a leading crypto infrastructure provider, has partnered with global payroll and HR platform Deel to enable companies in the United Kingdom and European Union to pay employees using stablecoins. The service, built on MoonPay's fiat infrastructure unit called Iron, will allow wages to be sent directly to workers' self-custodied crypto wallets, bypassing traditional banking systems for cross-border payments.
The offering is scheduled to roll out first in the UK and EU, with plans for a later expansion into the United States. This partnership grants MoonPay potential access to Deel's vast corporate user base, which supports payroll operations for tens of thousands of companies and processed $22 billion in global payroll in 2025.
"Deel will build on Iron rails to power stablecoin payroll, delivering fast, seamless global payouts at scale," said Max von Wallenberg, founder and CEO of Iron, in a statement on X. He highlighted the scale of the opportunity, noting Deel's significant 2025 processing volume and its "bold bet on crypto infrastructure."
The service targets common pain points in international payroll, including settlement delays, high currency conversion costs, and banking access issues in certain regions. Stablecoins offer near-instant transfers and predictable value, making them attractive for workers who prefer crypto-native payment methods or faster access to funds.
Deel's involvement with crypto payroll is not new; the company began offering wages in digital assets like USDC and Solana as early as 2021. That same year, it raised $425 million in a Series D funding round. The new integration with MoonPay's Iron infrastructure formalizes and scales this capability.
This move is part of MoonPay's broader strategy to expand beyond consumer on-ramps into enterprise services. Late last year, MoonPay also partnered with self-custody wallet firm Exodus Movement and M0 to introduce a USD-pegged stablecoin. The Deel partnership ties MoonPay's services more closely to recurring, predictable financial activity like payroll, which could provide steadier transaction volume than retail-focused crypto services.
Adoption will depend on regulatory clarity, tax treatment, and worker appetite. The initial UK and EU rollout serves as a testing ground, with planned U.S. expansion adding another layer of complexity due to differing regulatory approaches.
