In accordance with increasing stringent ammunition safety requirements, the manufacture, transportation and applications of traditional 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)-based melt-cast explosives will not fulfill those safety standards. Recently, the melt-cast explosives based on 2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN) as substitute for those of TNT has aroused great attentions. In this paper, the research progress of DNAN-based melt-cast explosives in the last ten years were summarized towards their synthesis, physicochemical properties, energetic and sensitive performance, mechanical and rheological performances. Furthermore, the main research hotspots about DNAN-based melt-casting explosives in the future were also prospected in this article.