There is currently no limit to the number of verifications you can receive or give (though there probably should be). And you should be able to reciprocate without that counting against your available Gives. Go ahead and try verifying me. You should be able to even though you don’t have any to Give.
Discussion
Got it. Reciprocations should not count when they are given or received, but they are good to get and give because it strengthens that bond. The future algorithm will award more points to fully reciprocated connections.
I think early on someone thought that their reciprocation cost them a Give and I just didn’t bother to correct it because reciprocations are secondary to newly established connections.