By , LONDON (Reuters) - With bitcoin surging to the cusp of its 2017 all-time high, backers are hoping fewer frenzied retail investors means less chance of a crash this time around.But with little mainstream usage as a form of payment and global uncertainty clouding financial markets, bitcoin is still far from a safe bet, analysts said.“There are a lot of differences to what was happening before,” said Larry Cermak, director of research at cryptocurrency media firm The Block.“The price has steadily increased, we are seeing very little retail participation and markets are much more liquid...…By , LONDON (Reuters) - With bitcoin surging to the cusp of its 2017 all-time high, backers are hoping fewer frenzied retail investors means less chance of a crash this time around.But with little mainstream usage as a form of payment and global uncertainty clouding financial markets, bitcoin is still far from a safe bet, analysts said.“There are a lot of differences to what was happening before,” said Larry Cermak, director of research at cryptocurrency media firm The Block.“The price has steadily increased, we are seeing very little retail participation and markets are much more liquid...WW…