Bitcoin, altcoins XRP and ETH, together with precious metals, have all witnessed gains to welcome the first day in the much-anticipated “Uptober.”  Bitcoin surged past $117,000 on Wednesday, cementing a broad market rebound as US political gridlock and surging gold prices changed investor sentiment. The top cryptocurrency by market cap gained more than 3.7% in the past 24 hours, briefly touching $117,356 before easing slightly.