Nuggets, the e-commerce payments and ID platform has opened up its mobile app Alpha to iOS users. Nuggets uses blockchain technology to enable consumers to make e-commerce payments, log in to services, and verify their identities without having to share or store their personal data with anyone, not even Nuggets.

Already, the company says they have had thousands of applications from consumers wanting access to the Alpha.

In the wake of the scandal surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, consumers are becoming far more concerned about protecting their identities online and regaining control over their data.

“Using blockchain technology, we’ve developed a platform that will revolutionize the way we store personal data and make transactions online,” said Alastair Johnson, CEO, and co-founder of Nuggets. “Nuggets is all about giving consumers the chance to take back control of their data. Our Alpha offers the chance to become one of the very first people to do so.”

Nuggets is giving access to the Alpha in limited batches to users who joined a whitelist, to enable initial testing. Users will be able to download the Alpha, test the onboarding process, experiment with the login feature and offer feedback.

The app is just one expression of the platform’s potential. And this Alpha release is one of several imminent milestones for Nuggets. The company is releasing an Android Alpha in the coming weeks and will be integrating the payment function within months.

“We’re really looking forward to gathering feedback on the Alpha, and using that to show businesses how they can win back consumer confidence after the numerous data breach scandals of the past year,” said Johnson.

Retailers and e-commerce providers looking to offer greater protection for their customers’ data can easily integrate Nuggets’ technology with legacy systems – opening up the potential for Nuggets to quickly become a popular form of payment and identity verification online.