Bitcoin pioneer Erik Voorhees has launched an altcoin exchange to be run on iPhones which he described as "Karpeles-proof".

ShapeShift.io coincides with Apple's new iOS 9 which appeared earlier this week. It was already in existence as an online exchange and API.

It precludes the nightmare of another Mt.Gox - the bitcoin exchange in Japan run by Mark Karpeles where millions in funds went missing - because it doesn't warehouse sensitive private information, requiring only deposit and withdrawal addresses to make trades.

ShapeShift.io founder and CEO, Voorhees said: "Most exchanges hold customer funds and extract personal information, which is an archaic and insecure model.

"Mt.Gox was a teachable moment for everyone in the Bitcoin community and ShapeShift has innovated these problems out of the picture," he said.

"We are both faster and more secure. This is real consumer protection—no funds or sensitive information is stored on our servers nor on the user's phone in case it is damaged, destroyed or stolen."

It's the first exchange to offer an iOS app for trading major digital assets, without requiring an account, username, password, or email address, or the exchange holding your currency.

The firm has recently done tie-ups with Purse.io and Vaultoro, so users can buy goods on Amazon or trade cryptocurrency for bullion.