I think it means that bitcoin is just a digital currency. But its the blockchain, that makes it unique and different from all the other digital currencies. its special because of blockchain,
They're hard to separate though. Securing the blockchain (mining) isn't free and miners have to be rewarded for their efforts in some way. The most obvious way to do so is to issue tokens to the miners that can be transacted through this blockchain. Without a reward for mining, the security of the system is at risk.