that's right and it's going to be one of the true challenges for bitcoin when all the coins are mined by selfish pricks like KNC and other mining ventures. in fact this is the period when blockchain needs to start finding its demand or use asap or else it loses its momentum and only extraordinary turn of events could save it... also hashpower will follow where there's demand and money, so don't overestimate bitcoin just because it was the first in race as miners can leave in a heartbeat if another coin emerges as a far better alternative, pretty simple economics...
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.