diff --git a/packages/hardhat/.env.example b/packages/hardhat/.env.example
index 86614fe5e4..b12938318a 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat/.env.example
+++ b/packages/hardhat/.env.example
@@ -7,5 +7,7 @@
 
 # To access the values stored in this .env file you can use: process.env.VARIABLENAME
 ALCHEMY_API_KEY=
-DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY=
 ETHERSCAN_MAINNET_API_KEY=
+
+# Don't fill this value manually, run yarn generate to generate a new account or yarn account:import to import an existing PK.
+DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_ENCRYPTED=
diff --git a/packages/hardhat/hardhat.config.ts b/packages/hardhat/hardhat.config.ts
index 4bbddc0543..f905110f30 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat/hardhat.config.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat/hardhat.config.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ import { task } from "hardhat/config";
 import generateTsAbis from "./scripts/generateTsAbis";
 
 // If not set, it uses the hardhat account 0 private key.
-const deployerPrivateKey = "0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80";
+const deployerPrivateKey =
+  process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY || "0xac0974bec39a17e36ba4a6b4d238ff944bacb478cbed5efcae784d7bf4f2ff80";
 // If not set, it uses our block explorers default API keys.
 const etherscanApiKey = process.env.ETHERSCAN_MAINNET_API_KEY || "DNXJA8RX2Q3VZ4URQIWP7Z68CJXQZSC6AW";
 const etherscanOptimisticApiKey = process.env.ETHERSCAN_OPTIMISTIC_API_KEY || "RM62RDISS1RH448ZY379NX625ASG1N633R";
diff --git a/packages/hardhat/package.json b/packages/hardhat/package.json
index 5791678ab6..7972229132 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat/package.json
+++ b/packages/hardhat/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "chain": "hardhat node --network hardhat --no-deploy",
     "check-types": "tsc --noEmit --incremental",
     "compile": "hardhat compile",
-    "deploy": "hardhat deploy",
+    "deploy": "ts-node scripts/runHardhatDeployWithPK.ts",
     "fork": "MAINNET_FORKING_ENABLED=true hardhat node --network hardhat --no-deploy",
     "generate": "hardhat run scripts/generateAccount.ts",
     "flatten": "hardhat flatten",
diff --git a/packages/hardhat/scripts/generateAccount.ts b/packages/hardhat/scripts/generateAccount.ts
index 1fc127ccb6..5a8a16f2c9 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat/scripts/generateAccount.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat/scripts/generateAccount.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const setNewEnvConfig = async (existingEnvConfig = {}) => {
 
   const newEnvConfig = {
     ...existingEnvConfig,
-    DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY: encryptedJson,
+    DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_ENCRYPTED: encryptedJson,
   };
 
   // Store in .env
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async function main() {
   }
 
   const existingEnvConfig = parse(fs.readFileSync(envFilePath).toString());
-  if (existingEnvConfig.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY) {
+  if (existingEnvConfig.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_ENCRYPTED) {
     console.log("⚠️ You already have a deployer account. Check the packages/hardhat/.env file");
     return;
   }
diff --git a/packages/hardhat/scripts/listAccount.ts b/packages/hardhat/scripts/listAccount.ts
index 84273dd327..ad3942daf1 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat/scripts/listAccount.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat/scripts/listAccount.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { config } from "hardhat";
 import password from "@inquirer/password";
 
 async function main() {
-  const encryptedKey = process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY;
+  const encryptedKey = process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_ENCRYPTED;
 
   if (!encryptedKey) {
     console.log("🚫️ You don't have a deployer account. Run `yarn generate` first");
diff --git a/packages/hardhat/scripts/runHardhatDeployWithPK.ts b/packages/hardhat/scripts/runHardhatDeployWithPK.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d58b7acefc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/hardhat/scripts/runHardhatDeployWithPK.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import * as dotenv from "dotenv";
+dotenv.config();
+import { Wallet } from "ethers";
+import password from "@inquirer/password";
+import { spawn } from "child_process";
+
+/**
+ * Unencrypts the private key and runs the hardhat deploy command
+ */
+async function main() {
+  const isNetworkProvided = process.argv.slice(2).includes("--network");
+
+  if (!isNetworkProvided) {
+    // Deploy command on the localhost network
+    const hardhat = spawn("hardhat", ["deploy", ...process.argv.slice(2)], {
+      stdio: "inherit",
+      env: process.env,
+    });
+
+    hardhat.on("exit", code => {
+      process.exit(code || 0);
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const encryptedKey = process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY_ENCRYPTED;
+
+  if (!encryptedKey) {
+    console.log("🚫️ You don't have a deployer account. Run `yarn generate` first");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const pass = await password({ message: "Enter password to decrypt private key:", mask: true });
+
+  try {
+    const wallet = await Wallet.fromEncryptedJson(encryptedKey, pass);
+    process.env.DEPLOYER_PRIVATE_KEY = wallet.privateKey;
+
+    const hardhat = spawn("hardhat", ["deploy", ...process.argv.slice(2)], {
+      stdio: "inherit",
+      env: process.env,
+    });
+
+    hardhat.on("exit", code => {
+      process.exit(code || 0);
+    });
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error("Failed to decrypt private key. Wrong password?");
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+main().catch(console.error);